Did you know the median age of Facebook users is now 35? The online social network boasts more than 100 million users in the United States alone—roughly one-third the nation’s population.
With more than 500 million users worldwide as of July 2010, Facebook has positioned itself as the world’s largest social media network. The growth of Facebook happened all within six short years! This explosion just goes to show how our online habits have changed.
Users now have all the tools and diversions they used to scour the Web to find consolidated into one platform. We use Facebook to stay connected with relatives and classmates, to play games, learn about new books and music, to share videos and photos, and to decide where to spend our money.
Facebook is a community all its own, which means that as it becomes the de facto hub for online interaction for people of all demographics, we have an opportunity reach out to a diverse group of users in a way couldn’t have imagined a decade ago.
Changing Habits
As Generation Y grows into a dominant purchasing power (those early college Facebook users of 2004 are now in their mid-to-late twenties), we have to rethink the way we communicate. These are the kids who grew up online. They don’t look through the yellow pages or read newspapers as frequently as previous generations; they expect to find whatever they need online, and Facebook is one of the best tools to reach them.
Although Generation Y is certainly still the most active group on Facebook right now, more and more Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are finding their places within the Facebook universe as well. In fact, women ages 55 and above are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook.
Linking up: I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine
Facebook is a fantastic way to develop mutually beneficial connections with other businesses and groups. Local pages, representing city commerce groups, entertainment promoters, government authorities and countless others are now on Facebook, and networking with those groups helps develop and foster relationships within our communities.
When these groups are active, people pay attention. Through social network interaction, we can build relationships online that translate into business, cooperation and partnership. Connecting with these groups also gives businesses more exposure to potential customers because the information is open for the public’s eye.
Staying Up-to-date
These days, it’s all too easy to forget when someone’s birthday is coming up or when you tentatively planned that fishing trip. The same is true for sales and promotional events. People like promotions, but we are so busy that often forget when they happen.
Facebook provides us with an easy place to check out what’s going on, and offers tools that let businesses tell users about specials and promotions as they are happening. The beauty is in the instant. We can post updates that appear to users right away, just as if we were calling a friend to remind him or her about that upcoming fishing trip.
With such a universally accessible and ubiquitous platform at our fingertips, we have the opportunity to reach out in ways we couldn’t have imagined ten years ago. If you need help strategically establishing a presence on Facebook for your organization, SRJ Marketing Communications is here to help.
