Who Is On Facebook?

Emily MacNair - April 13, 2009

I recently took a trip to see friends and family, and while I was there my sister told me to “friend” my aunt on Facebook.  Although I know Facebook’s popularity has been growing not only among the college-aged users, the fact that my aunt was now an active user made me sit back and think about the growth of Facebook among all adults, especially within the last year.

As Facebook continues to mature, so do its demographics. Presently, according to Inside Facebook, nearly 45% of Facebook users are over the age of 26, and almost a quarter of users are over the age of 35. Surprisingly enough, the age group that is growing the fastest is women, age 55+. From September 2008 to February 2009, this age group grew approximately 175%! (Males within the same age group only grew 135%).  Another group that has experienced tremendous growth is users age 45+ (around 165% during the same time frame).

When my own relatives tell me that I need to be on Facebook (little do they know, I have been for years), and when I come across these numbers, I can’t help but think about the opportunities from a marketer’s perspective.  It is no longer a place to reach only the college-age consumers.

While I understand that social media marketing can be somewhat daunting if you haven’t approached a social network from this angle before, don’t let that cause you to shy away from the potential that exists for your company or organization.  Facebook users sign up to re-connect with old friends and meet others who have common interests, share similar activities, beliefs, views, etc.  Use the information that is provided to target your ads or your marketing message and communicate with those who could become potential customers.  One of the best things about Facebook is that it can fit into any budget, creating very little barriers in order to participate. So don’t let a little hesitation prevent you or your company from delving into Facebook as a marketing channel.  You could be passing up a wonderful opportunity to reach a whole new audience from a different perspective.