Facebook attracts for more senior users compared to other social media platforms, according to Pew Research Center’s Social Media Update 2013, released in December.
“Fully 71% of online adults now use Facebook, and usage among seniors has increased significantly in the last year,” Pew notes regarding its Internet Project update.
About 45% of Internet users aged 65 and older use Facebook as of December 2013, up from 35% one year earlier. Additionally, six out of 10 internet users between the ages of 50 and 64 use Facebook.
“Some 42% of online adults now use multiple social networking sites,” Pew found. “Despite recent growth by services such as Pinterest and Instagram, Facebook remains the dominant social networking platform.”
Social media usage drops off among older adults when it comes to other platforms. Only 5% of the 65+ demographic of internet users are on Twitter, with usage ticking up slightly to 9% among those aged 50-64.
LinkedIn had better numbers, with 13% of 65+ online adults and nearly a quarter of the 50-64 demographic.
Still, marketers may have their best shot accessing seniors through Facebook, considering it exhibits what Pew terms “especially high levels of user engagement.” A majority (63%) of Facebook users check in on a daily basis, the survey found, and 40% do so multiple times throughout the day.
Check out Pew’s Social Media Update 2013.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
