03 Feb What Is the Gen X Social Network of Choice?

Today, Gen X is often overlooked, as they are a smaller generation than Baby Boomers and Millennials. But they are still substantial at 65 million!

According to eMarketer, this generation came of age alongside the Internet. Most use social networks and smartphones religiously. For marketers using digital technology to reach consumers, Generation X is (or should be) a natural target, according to a new eMarketer report, “Generation X: A Forgotten Population That’s Well Worth Remembering.”

Gen Xers of course were initiated into the World Wide Web prior to Facebook but they have added social networking to their digital activity mix. eMarketer’s data projection shows that three-quarters of US Gen X internet users will log on to social networks at least monthly in 2014.

This data also shows that they like to stick with their “tried and true” favorite social platforms, with barely half even tapping into Twitter.

Similarly, October 2013 polling of US mobile phone users by Pew Research Center’s Internet Project found respondents ages 30 to 49 less than half as likely as younger adults to use Instagram

With Facebook still at the center of Gen Xers’ social networking, this should make them easier for marketers to reach. Since Gen Xers aren’t as likely to experiment with the latest social service to pop up, a brand that wants to connect with them in the social environment can be confident of finding them on Facebook.

eMarketer tells us that the full report, “Generation X: A Forgotten Population That’s Well Worth Remembering,” also answers these key questions:

• Why should marketers pay attention to Generation X?
• How do Gen Xers behave as shoppers? And what use do they make of digital technology to find and buy what they want?
• How responsive are Gen Xers to the advertising they encounter in various media?

Where do you think Gen Xers are hanging out online and how do you like to reach them? Share by commenting below!