The great buzz among marketers – and non-marketers – is social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. Below is a breakdown of demographic research that tells us the popularity of these two social networks and the profile of their users as of 2010.
Total Users
| 500 Million (83%) | ||
| 106 Million (17%) |
Log In Every Day
| 41% (205 Million) | ||
| 27% (29 Million) |
Log In Via a Mobile Device
| 30% (150 Million) | ||
| 37% (39 Million) |
Update Their Status Every Day
| 12% (60 Million) | ||
| 52% (55 Million) |
Gender
| Male: 46% (230 Million) Female: 54% (270 Million) |
||
| Male: 48% (51 Million) Female: 52% (55 Million) |
Follow a Brand
| 40% | ||
| 25% |
% Of Brand Followers that Will Purchase that Specific Brand
| 51% | ||
| 67% |
Income
| Income | ||||
| $0-$25,000 | 13% (65 Million) | 17% (18 Million) | ||
| $26,000-$50,000 | 34% (170 Million) | 33% (36 Million) | ||
| $51,000-75,000 | 30% (150 Million) | 23% (24 Million) | ||
| $76,000-$100,000 | 12% (60 Million) | 15% (16 Million) | ||
| $101,000-150,000 | 7% (35 Million) | 7% (7 Million) | ||
| $150,000 or More | 4% (20 Million) | 4% (5 Million) |
Age
| Age | ||||
| 13-17 | 11% (55 Million) | 4% (4 Million) | ||
| 18-25 | 29% (145 Million) | 13% (14 Million) | ||
| 26-34 | 23% (115 Million) | 30% (32 Million) | ||
| 35-44 | 18% (90 Million) | 27% (28 Million) | ||
| 45-54 | 12% (60 Million) | 17% (18 Million) | ||
| 55+ | 7% (35 Million) | 9% (10 Million) |
Source: Digital Surgeons Report Dec. 2010
Who Tweets
8% of American adults who use the internet are Twitter users sharing their lives 140 characters at a time. Groups who are notable for their relatively high levels of Twitter include:
Young Adults – Internet users ages 18-29 are significantly more likely to use Twitter than are older adults.
African-Americans and Latinos – Minority internet users are more than twice as likely to use Twitter as are white internet users.
Urbanites – Urban residents are roughly twice as likely to use Twitter as rural dwellers.
Women – Women and the college-educated are also slightly more likely than average to use the service.
Who Facebooks
Of Facebook’s 100 million U.S. users:
African-American – 11%
Latino – 9%
Asian – 6%
White – 74%
Women – Fastest growing demographic in America on Facebook is Women 55+.
Source: Pew Research Center
Savvy marketers recognize the validity of social media as a highly productive internet marketing tool. However, let’s also remember that e-mail continues to remain a powerful results-oriented platform that can increase sales and drive traffic to your web site or Facebook page.
