More and more, businesses and organizations are realizing they need an online presence that includes a robust social media presence. All the press around Facebook – from TIME naming Mark Zuckerberg as its Person of the Year to “The Social Network” certainly helps.
Yet, I still hear the same question from so many people: “I’m not marketing to teenagers — why do I need social media?” Or: “I hate Facebook! What a waste of time!”
Not having a social media presence for your business or organization is akin to not having a phone line, because you don’t like to take calls. It doesn’t make much sense. Only in rare cares would I recommend a business or organization forego a social media presence — which might make a good topic for a future blog post!
Here are the facts:
- Over 50 percent of the United States’ population is on Facebook – that comes to 155 million users nationwide. In Michigan, just over 47 percent of the state’s population is on Facebook, which totals 4.7 million users.
- Many people think Facebook is made up of only young people. But, that’s not true. In Michigan, nearly 40 percent of all Facebook users are over 40. That’s higher than the national average.
- A 2010 Pew study found that social networking use among internet users aged 50+ increased from 22 percent to 42 percent from 2009 to 2010. Since the study, I’m sure this figure has increased even more!
