[SYNTHESIS] Social networking: it’s not just for millennials anymore
Written by Noah Flower on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
Filed under Network technology, Network tradecraft, Synthesis
The argument for foundations and nonprofits to get savvy with social networking sites just got better: the teen and twentysomething early-adopters are now rapidly being joined by their Baby Boomer parents and Generation X. For the past few years, social networking sites were the place to go to attract next generation donors–now they’re rapidly becoming the place to interact with existing donors.
Two sources substantiate this: demographic statistics from Facebook and a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Facebook is a good indicator for the world of social networking sites at large, having reached the #1 spot about six months ago, with 150 million users, while the Pew study provides a broader view. The Facebook stats show that in the U.S. the 35-54 year old segment grew 276% in the last six months, meaning that this population on the site has roughly doubled in size every two months (hat tip: Social Ch@nge). The Pew numbers show similar growth: some 35% of online adults now have at least one profile on a social networking site, more than quadruple the amount that did in February 2005 when the figure was 8%. Whereas teenagers initially were the first to take to these new tools, rapid uptake has now slowed, and the number of adults has steadily doubled every 18 months for the past four years (hat tip: TechBeat). The 18-24-year-old segment now stands at 40% (60 million) of the Facebook population, and the 35-54-year-old segment has now reached 4.6% (7 million). Those are global figures, but here in the U.S. our population of 18-24-year-olds is only about 22 million and our population of 35-54-year-olds is about 82 million. That means there is a great deal of room for growth among adults.
How many adults will get on board? My guess is that it could be a surprisingly high number. Unlike text messaging, social networking sites are not hard to use, and the basic concept of using the Internet to keep up with friends is intuitive to anyone familiar with email. There’s a reason why they’re called social networking sites: these are tools that are attractive to the extent that your friends use them, which means that we’re likely to see growth snowball as increasing numbers of Boomers and Xers find themselves surrounded by people who are using social networking to communicate. There are certainly some reasons why older generations will be more reticent adopters, since there are still some segments of the Boomers and older population who remain only somewhat accustomed to using the Internet. Yet I think it’s all too easy to brush off older groups as Luddites. My bet is that for every stereotypical Boomer who refuses to change there are at least three or four of his/her peers who will enjoy exploring the expanded world of social connectivity that is available on Facebook.
As older demographic groups rush to join the social networking bandwagon, it’s common sense that philanthropies and nonprofits should be there to not only welcome them, but also help introduce them to this new way of engaging with social causes. Social change is always about being a leader—what better way to strengthen a leadership-based brand than to get on the cutting edge?
2 Comments to [SYNTHESIS] Social networking: it’s not just for millennials anymore
I agree Noah, it is such a sea change. I am now playing scrabble on facebook with an 85 year old. The concept of nonprofits and foundations being there in socialmediaverse to welcome newcomers is a lovely one.
February 8, 2009
Noah,
These stats and your arguments are very helpful. As someone who is dedicated to helping nonprofits and philanthropies assess the effectiveness of their communications, I would caution philanthropies and nonprofits to be CLEAR about the purpose of having a presence on social networks. Such clarity is necessary to avoid the so-common mistake of jumping into using the next tool without discussing WHY we are doing it (I would argue that statements like “we need to have an annual report” led way too many orgs down the road of producing expensive, not particularly useful communications without thinking why they were doing it.)
Social networking channels can be powerful vehicles to listen to and have a dialogue with your constituents about issues your organization cares about. This in an of itself could be a worthy objective. But for that, organizations need to be interested in listening. First comes the discussion about your objectives (“We want to increase input from our constituents in how we shape our programs”), then comes the conversation about the communications vehicle best suited to achieve such objective.
February 7, 2009