From October 2007 to January 2010, a mere 2.25 years, the face of Facebook changed radically. It went from being a social media platform populated overwhelmingly (62%) by college students (18-24) to one dominated by the “working class” (those beyond college and out in the workplace). In 2010, those aged 25-34 totaled 25% of Facebook’s user base and those aged 35-54 totaled 29%, for a grand total of 54% of Facebook’s user base. And, if you include those over 55, the total is 64% of Facebook’s user base, a complete reversal of demographics. In just 2 ¼ short years!
Here are the stats, direct from Facebook:
| Age |
10/22/07 |
6/18/08 |
1/04/09 |
1/04/10 |
||||
|
% of Users |
% of Growth |
% of Users |
% of Growth |
% of Users |
% of Growth |
% of Users |
% of Growth |
|
| 0-17 |
19.1% |
|
16.5% |
14.8% |
13.5% |
29.6% |
10.4% |
88.2% |
| 18-24 |
61.8% |
|
53.8% |
15.6% |
40.8% |
20.6% |
25.3% |
51.7% |
| 25-34 |
14.2% |
|
21.1% |
97.6% |
25.7% |
101.3% |
24.8% |
127.3% |
| 35-54 |
3.4% |
|
7.0% |
172.9% |
15.6% |
276.4% |
29% |
328.1% |
| 55+ |
0.8% |
|
1.2% |
97.1% |
2.3% |
194.3% |
9.5% |
922.7% |
| Unknown |
0.7% |
|
0.3% |
-40.8% |
0.1% |
-70.5% |
1.0% |
4447.6% |
While Facebook grew a staggering 515%, from 20 million users to 103 million users, the numbers show a much faster acceleration of growth in the 35-54 demographic, as well as a huge change in the 55+ demographic last year.
There are many implications for this shift in Facebook’s user base. However, one seems to stand out: everybody is turning to social media.
Social media is no longer for the young. Social media will soon be as ubiquitous as e-mail.
In 2008, when Facebook, YouTube and MySpace were really beginning to build up a head of steam, many marketers were talking about a coming tsunami based on the age of social media users. The young, they pointed out, were becoming comfortable with the use of social media tools. The tsunami would occur slowly over the years as those young users grew older. Who could have anticipated that the tsunami would occur not over the course of many years, but literally within the span of a few short months? Virtually overnight everyone will be comfortable using social media tools to communicate and collaborate in ways no one has previously anticipated.
What will this mean for the way companies communicate, not with the outside world, but within?
It is very possible that the social media communication revolution will change communication patterns as much as or even more so than the Internet and e-mail.
Businesses have a real opportunity here to . . . start the conversation.
More from GreenNurture
- “Something’s happening Arizona, and you’re right in the middle of it!”
- Evolution of the First Tool of Employee Engagement – The Suggestion Box
- The Light at the End of the Tunnel for LEDs
greennurture Recommends
- Lessons from 2010: Sustainability and Social Media (Your3BL)
- Earth, Wind and Fire Balls (Or The Greening of Golf!) (Your3BL)
- The raising of the hand! (Your3BL)
