Social Seniors

People are often warned about the content they post on social media.  Posts that could keep you from getting a job, pictures that might get you fired or posts that might cause problems in future relationships are just a few things that could happen.  Now there is something else to think about – giving your grandparents a heart attack.  A new research report has been released that shows how seniors are using social media, the implications can mean success for your business but also could mean lots of cat pictures in your news feeds.

• Nationally, half of adults age 50 to 65 use social networking sites, over one-third of age 65+ use social networking sites

• 31% of adults age 50-64 use them on a daily basis, as do 18% of adults 65+

• Since 2009, social media use among seniors has grown over 150%, faster than any age group

• In Metro Orlando, more than one in three adults age 50+ have visited a social media site in the past 30 days – the vast majority use Facebook

• Year over year, the number adults in Metro Orlando age 50+ on social networks has grown 11%.  The number of adults age 65+ has grown by 50%

• Over 30% of Metro Orlando’s social seniors spend over an hour a day engaged with social media

What Does This Mean To You

Social media gives your business another way to connect with seniors.  Not only does it provide an avenue to promote your goods & services, it also allows for these brand active older consumers to be an extension of your marketing campaign.   Seniors use social networks to reconnect with friends and they value the opinion of other seniors.  This digital word of mouth can have a huge impact on your business.  If your information is not correct, out of date or is filled with negative comments, consumers, especially seniors, will likely pass you by for a competitor with a better social reputation.   For more information on managing your social reputation and engaging seniors through social media, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project; The 2012 Scarborough Report, Release 1

Seniors And High Tech Devices

Seniors are not known for being gadget collectors but recent trends are pointing to something different.  Recent research on older Americans point to more and more adults 65+ relying on high tech devices.

• 70% of adults 65+ own a cell phone, that’s up over 20% from 2 years ago

• Nearly half have desktops and approximately one-third own laptops

• The number of adults owning laptops has grown 25% since 2010

• Historically, seniors are heavy book readers, but it seems like how they read is changing.  11% of adults 65+ own e-readers, that number has jumped 40% in the past 2 years

• 8% of seniors own tablets

What Does This Mean To You

Technology allows you to target the lucrative senior population in ways you couldn’t just a few years ago.  While the majority of Metro Orlando seniors are retired, one-third still have household incomes of $50,000+ and 18% are in the $75,000+ bracket.
Seniors are also a great consumer base.  In the past 12 months, adults 65+ have made a variety of purchases, including:

• One in four bought a TV

• Nearly half made a home improvement

• 30% made a purchase from a furniture or mattress store

• Over 70% made a purchase from a clothing store

For more information on how you can engage and monetize seniors, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project; The 2012 Scarborough Report, Release 1

The Graying Of The Internet

For several years, much research has been dedicated to the graying of America.  According to the 2010 US Census, there are over 40 million adults who are age 65+.  That equals 13% of the total population.  By 2015, the 65+ population is estimated to grow by 16% to over 46 million.  In 2020, there will be an estimated 54 million adults age 65+. The older digital population has also seen significant growth as well.  A new study has been released detailing how adults age 65+ are using the internet.

• Over half of adults age 65+ use the internet or or email

• While usership is low compared to other age groups, it has seen the greatest recent grown.  Year over year, the number of online adults age 65+ has grown 23%

• Once adults age 65+ go online, it becomes a part of their daily routine.  70% of online seniors use the internet or email on a daily basis

• Nearly 40% of adults age 65+ have high speed internet connections at home

What Does This Mean To You

While just 13% of the nation as a whole is age 65+, one in six Metro Orlando adults are age 65 or older.  And our online population is greater as well, 54% of our 65+ adults have internet access.  Over 60% have high speed internet connections and more than one in three have made an online purchase in the past year.  The digital domain is not just for the younger generation, local older adults go online to make purchases, get financial information or to do banking, find medical information or make travel reservations. For more information on how to digitally target the senior digital population, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: US Census Bureau; Pew Internet & American Life Project; The 2012 Scarborough Report, Release 1