Jumping on Social Media

24 May 2018

Apps such as Instagram and Snapchat are no longer exclusively the domain of twenty-somethings sharing photos of their morning lattes. Recently, social media platforms have welcomed swathes of older users to their ranks, and marketers are taking notice.

A recent Nielsen report revealed that the amount of time US adults aged over 50 spend on social media has increased 64 per cent since 2015. The increase is higher than any other demographic, and suggests that senior citizens are becoming more active and engaged with social media than ever before. In Australia, more than half of the 65 years and over population use social media networks and the average senior uses these networks more than 10 times a week.

The rise in engagement from older audiences is changing the way in which marketers think about their audience on social media, especially in relation to travel, health and pharmaceuticals, and groceries. Regarding travel, in 2016, 14 per cent of older Australian travellers looked for travel information on social media.