We'd like to officially welcome you to The Facebook Age. Now, according to a new report from Forrester Research, more than four in five U.S. online adults report using social media at least once a month, while half report participating in social networks like Facebook.
And while young people continue to march toward almost universal adoption of social applications, the most rapid growth occurred among consumers 35 and older.
"This means the time to build social marketing applications is now," said Forrester analyst and report author Sean Corcoran. "Interactive marketers should influence social network chatter, master social communication, and develop social assets -- even if their customers are older."
Some interesting statistics from the survey....
"Who participates socially? "Everyone," according to Forrester's research. "Adults of all ages increased their use of social tools." Adults younger than 35 approached universal social participation, while adults ages 18 to 24 and those ages 25 to 34 adopt social media similarly. Only 3% of 18- to-24-year-olds and 10% of 25- to-34-year-olds are socially inactive.
What's more, a staggering 89% of the younger crowd are spectators, while nearly as many are joiners. And almost half create content -- far higher than any other age group. Adults ages 25 to 34 also grew their participation across all categories -- especially in social networks. The message here: Social applications are necessary in every marketing plan that targets young adults.
Forrester encourages marketers to develop social applications, even if their audience is mature. "Social media can no longer be dismissed as a quirky habit of young adults," Corcoran said. "Nearly all online adults now participate socially, including those in their 40s and 50s."
Forrester further recommends crafting a brand's social entrance quickly, as "hesitating will force you to chase competitors who've already launched their social strategies."