By Sallyanne Smutek, Isentia Country Manager – New Zealand: We all know that the fastest growing users of Facebook is the 45+ category; but is Facebook now just for oldies?
We’re hearing that the world’s biggest social media users (teens) are getting sick of being ‘watched’ by their parents and their feeds being flooded by baby photos and political rants. So if the youngies are moving on, does that just leave us oldies?
While Facebook is still, by far, the world’s largest social media platform, it does feel like the cool kids are moving towards platforms like Snap Chat and Instagram. But for my friends and I – we’re still completely entrenched in Facebook.
According to reports, more than 11 million ‘youngies’ have fled Facebook since 2011.
I like Facebook. I like that I can keep up to date with far-flung friends and their daily lives. I like that I can share parts of my life with my friends simply and quickly, and I really like that I can get bite-sized snippets of news and information from my favourite brands.
Understanding the reach of a social media platform is key to a successful campaign. So why is Facebook just so great for brands targeting over 40s?
- Unlike other platforms, Facebook has a lot of information about its users – likes / interests / habits, giving advertisers the ability to specifically target your audience – through boosted posts and ads.
- The ads last longer – Facebook video ads are now 60 seconds
- It’s connectedness. Facebook says its 1.59 billion users are connected by less than 4 degrees of separation.
- Oldies love to ‘like’ and ‘share’ (who doesn’t have a mother or auntie who likes or shares everything you post!). This makes Facebook a key distribution model for content targeted at the 45+ – this is evidenced through the success of the smug Facebook Motherhood Challenge.
- Did you see the latest James Corden Carpool Karaoke Video on Facebook? Probably! More video is viewed on Facebook today than YouTube.
Facebook knows how to make its users feel good. Just recently, to celebrate Friends Day and their 12th anniversary, Facebook launched a clever video campaign starring your friends. These clever tools are something other social media platforms just can’t compete with.
If Facebook is becoming more appealing to an aging demographic, this is something that brands can celebrate. The 40+ group know what they want, are open to new experiences and generally have more disposable income than their younger comrades – ultimately brands can use this to their own advantage.
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