Senior Citizens and Social Media

Senior citizens (generally classified as the age group of 65 or older) have a tremendous influence over social networks and corporate media. They can absolutely make a difference in America’s bottom line.

However, although the impact that senior citizens have on the media is substantial, it doesn’t always get the attention that it deserves.

Many senior citizens have fun using the Internet and they often go to some of the more popular sites. The percentage of people who use the Internet is much higher than it was 6 years ago and the most rapid growth is being driven by groups of people of advancing age.

Which sites do you think senior citizens are visiting? What sorts of interests do senior citizens have? What are online businesses doing to cater to this particular market?

When businesses examine which types of interests senior citizens have and what they are pursuing online, they are finding that they are getting involved with similar activities to other groups of people, such as Email, social networking, photo sharing and looking at current news and weather. The senior citizens are also interested in age-related topics such as travel, financial concerns, and healthcare related to them.

Facebook and YouTube are two of the most-visited sites by senior citizens. It is a good way for them to connect with their younger family members (grandchildren, for example) and friends. It is a wonderful way to stay connected and to learn about all sorts of interesting things.

Twitter is another popular site for seniors. Many of them like the idea that Twitter has a maximum character limit of 140. That is perfect for them because many of the senior citizens want to stay connected but don’t want to spend a huge amount of time doing it. It also allows the seniors to communicate succinctly to their loved ones to let them know that they are doing well and what they are up to. Additionally, it eliminates some of the loneliness that many senior citizens experience.

Social media sites have noticed the increase in traffic from senior citizens and many of those social media sites have carved out a place for the personal interests of the seniors and are encouraging networking and information sharing. The social media sites are not catering to seniors because of who they are. They are catering to them because of who they represent: a large market share of retail dollars and a constant resource.

One of the popular social media sites for seniors is Eons.com. The site offers relevant information and sharing as well as many other topics of interest. These types of sites understand what this niche market is looking for and continually strives to maintain the interest of the seniors.

It is very important to bear in mind that not all sites are appropriate for all markets. With that said, it would be a grave error to dismiss the potential interest of senior citizens in social media sites. With our senior population growing in number all of the time, it is important to understand that they generate a great deal of online traffic, marketing dollars, and valuable insight based on their vast experiences.

Senior citizens are an extremely lucrative group for businesses to target. If businesses choose to dismiss them as weak or feeble, they are foolishly missing out on an important part of the population that can make a sizeable contribution in presence and in sales.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. Please contact us at CompuKol Communications for further discussion on how we might be able to assist you and your team.