Facebook Gets Older. Again.

We’ve been hearing this since February 2009, but as Facebook passes the 100 million user mark in the US, the 55+ category continues to be the fastest growing US demographic according to iStrategyLabs’ release of their yearlong study.

As noted in the above graphic, Facebook has added about 61 million US users, an 144% increase over the last year.

What does this mean for marketers? As the US market comprises nearly one-third of the site’s entire user base, as Americans go, usually does the rest of Facebook.  However, there are some things we can learn from this data that are probably not readily apparent.

1. Do your research – With all the advertising options out there, platforms are pretty helpful with data.  The data above is readily available from Facebook’s Social Ads system, iStrategy Labs merely compiled it (and did a great job at that).
2. Be as strategic as possible – Don’t let headlines affect your direction. If you’re going to venture into the social sphere (whether it’s ad buying or setting up Pages as part of a social strategy) make sure it still fits your overall marketing strategies/goals.
3. Growing demo ≠ Jump in – While the data is trending upwards for the 55+ demo, it doesn’t mean they have the same habits of other demos, nor does it automatically mean it’s a worthwhile use of your marketing efforts.
4. This is not the end of Facebook – A growing demographic did not correlate with a decline across any younger demo, or as Read Write Web eloquently put it: “just maybe… we can all coexist without our parents and grandparents ruining the party.”

Wondering how you can get your social strategy off the ground? Contact PtP at 866-979-5822 or visit our contact us page.