Facebook’s “Senior Surge”
Can’t ignore Facebook as a channel for reaching nonprofit donors.
Apart from the sheer volume of traffic on Facebook, 112 million unique visitors in 2009, as reported in Online Media Daily, consider this …
"…older users remain among the fastest-growing populations on Facebook. Men 45 to 54 showed the highest growth rate last month — with 472,000 joining, or 10.5%, followed closely by women 55 to 65, at 9.4% (391,000). That compares to growth rates, respectively, for the two groups of 0.8% and 1.6%. Why the senior surge?
Inside Facebook surmises that young people went home at Christmas and made their parents sign up. "Facebook saw massive traffic spikes around Christmas and New Year’s, according to Hitwise, and we wonder if this was when thousands of Facebook evangelists fired up the computer — or laptop, or netbook, or iPhone — and taught their relatives how Facebook works," noted Eric Eldon.
While it may be hard to imagine college-age kids trying to get their parents onto Facebook, one commenter suggested that empty nesters are increasingly turning to the site to maintain bonds with their children. Inside Facebook identified women 55 and over as the site’s fastest-growing group a year ago, increasing 175% during the prior 120 days. As that demographic has grown to 4.5 million, that rate has slowed considerably but is still respectable."
The older Facebook’s demographic gets, the more I like it as a fundraising channel.
Tom
2 responses to “Facebook’s “Senior Surge””
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Tom,
I agree with you wholeheartedly that the older the Facebook demographic gets, the better its potential as a legitimate fundraising channel.
Over at least the past year, as you have followed and commented on the emergence of the social media platforms as possibly effective fundraising tools, I have agreed with your general thinking that they deserve careful consideration, but that one should be thoughtful and cautious with the level of reliance upon them.
There are so many aspects of a platform like Facebook that I personally find a bit transitory and unfocused — almost frivolous — in nature. But, if it can be demonstrated that the older segments of the population truly are adopting this mode of social communication, then it makes sense to continue our evaluation of its fundraising potential. After all, it is still the case that older folks are generally the ones with most of the money!
One last caveat. Even if the social media platforms continue to emerge as legitimate and effective fundraising tools, it does not mean we can abandon most of the other old-fashioned and proven methods of constituent cultivation and relationship management. In my view, those activities can be helped along — even started — by social-media communication, but they also require careful, sustained and much more intimate or “hands-on” approaches than something like Facebook alone can accomplish.
Just my thoughts. Thanks.
Great point. In fact, we are seeing more donations occur on Facebook. The Facebook Causes application alone raised $14 million in 2009. Up from $2 million in 2008. That’s a huge jump. This is all the the more reason for non-profits to engage in social media and integrate their messages. Cross-channel synergy.
Of course, don’t skimp on your traditional marketing efforts. It is about integration. An individual has a mail piece at home, he/she sees new info on Facebook, and they’re more likely to mail in a check and/or give online.