Quick, do you know the #1 age group of Internet users?
You may be surprised to learn that’s it not youngsters or teens. In fact, according to eMarketer, it’s the 44-62 baby boomers. They account for 31% of Internet useage, easily outpacing their younger 18-31 “connected” generation by about 19 million users.
For those of you interested in marketing trends and technology, especially Internet and Web 2.0, you should add eMarketer (www.emarketer.com) to your short list of web sites. They offer good research and articles on what’s happening in the online world.
Web 2.0 marketing technologies such as blogs, twittering, forums, social networking and search engine optimization (SEO) are now proven ways to reach new buyers, to influence a brand’s reputation or to improve customer loyalty. Increasingly I’m seeing companies dedicate marketing resources, not only budgets, but teams to specifically implement these strategies.
In meetings with companies and start-ups in Silicon Valley, it’s not uncommon now to see job titles such as “Marketing Programs – Social Networks” or “Director Internet Marketing” or “VP New Media and Branding”. First it was the early adopters like Cisco, Yahoo, Google and HP. Now the trend is permeating the mainstream and companies across the Global 2000 are jumping in big time.
Web 2.0 strategy is no longer optional, it’s mandatory. Companies need to go where the buyers are. And a lot of those 44-62 year olds with discretionary buying power are online!
[Source: eMarketer report]