Social media is just for kids. Its populated almost entirely by teenagers, college students, and recent graduates. No one my age is on Facebook. None of my potential clients are tweeting. Right? Not according to mashable.com.
Contrary to popular perception, internet users 35 and older dominate the big three social media sites Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Over 28% of Facebook users are between the ages of 35 and 54, representing the largest age demographic on the site. Similarly, 42 % of Twitter users are older than 35, and a whopping 77% of LinkedIn users as well according to Social Media for Lawyers. Because the 35+ demographic is considered to be the sweet spot for marketing purposes, social media provides a powerful marketing tool.
In fact, as of March 2011, the majority of America is now on Facebook. According to Edison Research, more than half of all Americans aged 12 or older are now on Facebook, accounting for 51% of Americans – a giant leap from only 8% in 2008. All signs point to these numbers increasing as social media becomes more accepted by older demographics.
So maybe Facebook is populated by teenagers. Maybe twitter is full of college students and recent graduates. But the numbers show that so are you colleagues, clients, and potential referral sources. Social media is not just for kids anymore.
CEO & Founder of Social Media Law & Order
Ethan teaches social media CLE programs to lawyers, law firms, and legal associations. He can design a one hour, half day, or full day workshop at your office, firm retreat, or conference that will be approved for both ethics and general CLE credit. Learn more about how Ethan can be your social media law keynote speaker at your next conference on topics related to social media and the law.