Social Media Users

I'm not a big Facebook fan.

But I'm on it, because of it's popularity.

And there is a pretty cool feature that I use to stay in touch with my Facebook Friends, the birthday reminders. I send greetings nearly everyday. It's one of those touch points that helps us to develop and continue building relationships.

Next month, I will be doing a session on Personal Branding at a local University and that will include telling my own story which is due to various forms of Social Media I use.

Today, I have a report from MediaAudit.com on what's going on now and the year ahead:

A Perfect Storm: Social Media Reaches Important Life Stages

The Media Audit FYI
December, 2010

A preliminary analysis of The Media Audit's soon-to-be released 2010 National Report reveals for the first time how social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have reached critical mass with consumers who are in important life stages. The study, conducted among more than 65,000 consumers across the U.S., reveals that consumers, especially those who are younger and single, or who have young children living at home are visiting Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace at a higher rate when compared to the general population.

The significance of these findings lies in the fact that consumers who are single tend to have a higher disposable income while those who are married with young children are entering the "age of acquisition" in which they are consuming large ticket items such as automobiles, furniture and real estate for the first time. As a result, these audiences represent significant buying power and validate the lure that more and more advertisers are beginning to have with these social sites.

According to the national study, 51.3% of U.S. adults surveyed across The Media Audit's 80 measured markets have visited Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace in the last month. The figure represents more than 71 million adults who are 18 or over. However, among adults who are single, under 35 years old, and with no children, 80.6% have visited these sites. As a result, those consumers in this group are 57% more likely than the general population to visit Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in a typical month.

The same report reveals that adults under the age of 35 years who are single and have no children have extremely active lifestyles and exhibit upscale shopping behavior, likely the result of not having children, and thus higher disposable income. Furthermore, these consumers are less likely to own a home, thus freeing up more income.

According to the study, adults who are single, under 35 years with no children are 60% more likely to visit bars or night clubs, 51% more likely to frequently attend college or professional sports events and 48% more likely to frequently visit a movie theatre. Furthermore, this group is 25% more likely than the general population to shop at upscale Neiman Marcus and 20% more likely to shop at Nordstrom. Not only is this audience attractive to advertisers, but it is also elusive. According to the same study, adults who are under 35, with no children and single are 47% more likely to be heavy internet users, however they are 12% less likely to be heavily exposed to outdoor billboards, 52% less likely to be heavily exposed to a newspaper, and 13% less likely to be heavily exposed to TV.

Among those adults who have children under the age of six years old, 71% visit Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in a typical month, a figure that is 38% higher when compared to the general population. Furthermore, households with children under the age of six visit these social websites at a higher rate when compared to households with children older than six years old.

The same national study reveals that households with children under the age of six are more likely to be in the market for new cars, real estate, and household accessories such as new furniture, electronics, and appliances. According to the study, consumers with young children under the age of six are 15% more likely than the general population to be in the market for a new vehicle in the next 12 months, while the same group is 37% more likely to be shopping for new video equipment such as a camera, VCR or DVD player. Additionally, households with young children under the age of six are 69% more likely to be planning to buy a home in the next two years and 11% more likely to be planning a home remodeling project.

Data for this report is preliminary and was obtained from surveys conducted between January and October of 2010 among more than 65,000 respondents. The Media Audit's 2010 National Report will be released this spring after all interviews are concluded for its 80 measured markets. The Media Audit local and national reports represent the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of today's constantly changing media and consumer trends.

For more information on this report, or to obtain data on a local market, contact The Media Audit.

Sphere: Related Content