Facebook-ers Age no bar!

Posted on March 16, 2011

Tags: Demographic, Digital Marketing, Facebook, Online Marketing, Social Media

The advent of Facebook as one of the biggest social networking websites was surprising and expected at the same time. Surprising because nobody ever imagined a small college project (or a college dropout’s project) to rise and conquer a world dominated by the likes of MySpace, Friendster, Orkut etc., and expected, yeah well, we all know why it was expected!

Facebook’s so called ‘rise to power’ has been as dramatic as a gladiator’s victory against a pack of flesh-crazed man- eating lions! Never before had a social networking portal affected its users like this. A social networking website that could near about read your mind and actually understands why you would need to tell the world about tiny details of your daily schedule-and lets you be ostentatious and do it with style!

Facebook has struck a different chord with every users that comes from age groups as different as chalk & cheese.

The most defined age brackets are as follows

1. 13-17
2. 18-24
3. 25-34
4. 35-44
5. 44 & above

Let’s take a look at how each user from their respective age group reacts, interacts, and behaves on a Social Networking Portal like Facebook:

13-17: Although quite a few users in this age group start on Facebook by wrongly declaring their age, it is still noted that a very high percentage of users from this group can be found active on Facebook. For a user from this age group, Facebook is mostly the medium to meet new people, sometimes from the same age group, sometimes not. Facebook to this user is not so much a networking tool, as it may be a means to brag about a new gadget, a new addition to the wardrobe or to flaunt a hot date! Facebook as a site appeals to the adventurous curiosity brought to fore in a user from this age group due to peer pressure, changing trends or quite simply ‘hormones’. Facebook is a ‘must have’ and being ON Facebook is being IN with the times!

Our Take: This is a section to watch out for. The burgeoning numbers and the varying degree of metamorphosis that this section goes through, can surely be instrumental in brands predicting trends and anticipate mild to drastic changes in choices and preferences of the consumer.

18-24: The user from this age group in all probability is starting college. This is where a lot of networking happens. Many users in this group are parts of communities, functional groups, circuits, fraternities etc. There’s a need to share, discuss, distribute and explore each and every aspect of life in this age group. Many people take to Social Networks like Facebook for guidance, for career, higher education, new purchases etc. Facebook most literally shapes the peer group and the overall image of a user. Most users with similar interests will be in each other’s friends list and will attend most of the events together. The Online Profile is virtually a representation of the User’s personal self.

Some of these users also seek Feedback from fellow users, for e.g. an artist will upload his/her work on Facebook and ask his/her friends to comment on or ‘like’ a particular piece of art. Facebook appeals to the user as a repository of vast information and as an ocean of collective experiences. The user makes the most of Facebook, as there are many other users who can help him/her make a decision faster than otherwise possible. Also, Facebook enables users from this user group to create new relationships, ranging from friendship, and casual dating to even serious relationships culminating in marriage. Many users in this group are career bound and hence use Facebook as sort of a resume or a display of their profile. Due to this many users end up creating a personal and professional Facebook profile.

Our Take: If you want to be found, stand where the seeker seeks. This section is full of seekers, explorers, and adventurers in their own right! Brands can focus on providing products and solutions following the trend analysis obtained from the earlier section!

25-34: This user group primarily uses Facebook to look up old friends from school and college. Facebook appeals to these users as it helps them revive precious memories and makes nostalgia a pleasant experience by enabling users to connect across boundaries and relive experiences, which otherwise may have been left long forgotten. Also, many users use Facebook to pursue their hobbies and interests by joining communities that center around topics of their interest. Many a times a Facebook profile is also used my many users to ‘size-up’ another user. For example, a person looking to befriend a colleague at office may use Facebook by sending them a friends’ request on Facebook first. Facebook also eases the initial hiccup of communication for those not confident enough to strike a conversation by themselves, in the offline world.

Our Take: Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense, but the past perfect! Well almost! Many brands can benefit from the psychographic inclination of these users. For e.g. brands like Nikon can sell their products to these users as the audience here wants to preserve every moment of their youth and is at a stage in life where they can afford near about everything that can give them a comfortable lifestyle.

35-44: Most users in this group are on Facebook for the following reasons:

• Someone younger in the peer group has pushed them to be on Facebook
• Professional reasons like being a part of the Office Community, or a certain group
• Personal reasons: Staying in touch with long time friends and relatives (mostly living away from the user)
• Entrepreneurs: Most entrepreneurs belong to this particular age group and use Facebook as a platform to leverage the visibility of their business/brand etc.

44 and above: Most users in this group want to be in touch with their loved ones, peers, relatives and also pursue an interest or a hobby. Although the number of users in this age bracket is less, it’s raising awareness about the portal and its benefits. The idea of being able to stay in touch with everyone you love and care about and also have a professional interest in, all on one platform is attracting more and more users from this age bracket.

Facebook gives them a power to connect like they’ve never been able to in the past and also gives them a feeling of being tech-savvy as, after the initial “getting used to” phase, Facebook is pretty convenient to use and very intuitive enough to ensure interactivity from users of all ages.

Our Take: This is a section that is usually ignored because of the general perception that users from this age group are not as tech savvy as some of their younger counterparts. This notion has been repeatedly proved wrong in the past few years. More and more users from this age bracket are now using Internet as a medium to acquire knowledge, research on choices and products and to make informed decisions and purchases! This is definitely a section to watch out for as the only direction it will go is UP!

Its not surprising to see that Facebook has 600 million plus users across the globe and the number is steadily on the rise. What sets Facebook apart is its ability to understand the ‘next step’ mindset of the user irrespective of his/her age group. Its easy to navigate and facilitates the user’s ability to maintain a parallel existence in a cool way!