Twitter Gets Younger, Facebook Dominates Social Networks

A study just released by Comscore,  2009 U.S. Digital Year in Review, shows that Facebook surged as the number one social network with 112 million visitors in December 2009.  This was up 105% over 2008.  Twitter also grew, but what is more interesting is the shift in demographics.

Although the initial success of Twitter was driven by users in the 25-54 year old age groups, the younger users, 18-24 year olds is the fastest growing segment at 7.9% and the under 18’s also grew by 6.2%.  This shift is probably due to celebrity Twitters and mobile phones; younger people being more likely to be accessing Twitter with short messaging via mobile phones.

Adults however, seem to favor Facebook. It is worth noting that 73% of all adults aged 18 and over have a Facebook account.  By contrast, only 48% of this age group have a MySpace account.

What Does This Mean For Business?

• Nearly 80% of U.S. internet users visited a social networking site in 2009.
• Social networking accounts for 11% of all time spent online in the US, making it one of the most popular online activities.

So despite the recession, consumers use of social media saw new heights in 2009.

What does this mean for Business Owners?

If you’re not on Facebook, you need to start thinking about social media marketing because this is where your customers are hanging out.  Can you afford not to be participating in the social media revolution?