Nearly half of all Americans over the age of 12 are members of some sort of social network according to a survey by Arbitron and Edison Research, an increase from 24 percent just two years ago.
“Social networking has become a part of mainstream media behavior,” said Tom Webster, VP of strategy and marketing at Edison Research.
While the percentage increases the younger you go, 51 percent of American adults have personal profile pages. This makes social networks a vital component of any ad campaign, and certainly game marketers have been paying more attention to social marketing of late.
“The use of social networking sites has expanded beyond younger consumers, with substantial numbers of Americans over the age of 35 now using social media,” said Bill Rose, SVP of marketing at Arbitron.
When asked which medium was the most essential, 42 percent choose the Internet, compared to 37 chosing the television, 14 percent choosing radio and five percent citing newspapers. Still, the importance of radio cannot be understated, and it represents another medium for marketers to tap. “Americans continue to hold radio in high regard, with nearly eight in ten saying they plan to listen to as much AM/FM radio in the future as they do now – despite advances of technology,” said Rose.
Source: MediaPost {link no longer active}
