According The Media Audit's soon-to-be released National Report, social media websites have reached critical mass with consumers who are in important life stages. Among those adults who have
children under the age of six years old, 71% visit Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in a typical month, a figure that is 38% higher when compared to the general population. And, households with children
under the age of six visit these social websites at a higher rate when compared to households with children older than six years old.
According to the national study, 51.3% of U.S. adults surveyed
have visited Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace in the last month. The figure represents more than 71 million adults who are 18 or over. However, among adults who are single, under 35 years old, and
with no children:
- 80.6% have visited these sites
- And are 57% more likely than the general population to visit them in a typical month
The same report reveals that
adults under the age of 35 years who are single and have no children have extremely active lifestyles and exhibit upscale shopping behavior, likely the result of not having children, and thus higher
disposable income. Furthermore, these consumers are less likely to own a home, thus freeing up more income.
According to the study, adults who are single, under 35 years with no children
are:
- 60% more likely to visit bars or night clubs,
- 51% more likely to frequently attend college or professional sports events
- 48% more likely to frequently visit a
movie theatre
- 25% more likely than the general population to shop at upscale Neiman Marcus
- 20% more likely to shop at Nordstrom
According to the same study this
audience is elusive. Adults who are under 35, with no children and single are 47% more likely to be heavy internet users, but are:
- 12% less likely to be heavily exposed to outdoor
billboards
- 52% less likely to be heavily exposed to a newspaper
- 13% less likely to be heavily exposed to TV
Households with children under the age of six are
more likely to be in the market for new cars, real estate, and household accessories such as new furniture, electronics, and appliances. According to the study, consumers with young children
under the age of six are:
- 15% more likely than the general population to be in the market for a new vehicle in the next 12 months
- 37% more likely to be shopping for new video
equipment such as a camera, VCR or DVD player
- 69% more likely to be planning to buy a home in the next two years
- 11% more likely to be planning a home remodeling project
The significance of these findings, concludes the report, lies in the fact that "... consumers who are single tend to have a higher disposable income while those who are married with young
children are entering the "age of acquisition" in which they are consuming large ticket items such as automobiles, furniture and real estate for the first time. As a result, these audiences
represent significant buying power and validate the lure that more and more advertisers are beginning to have with these social sites... "
For additional information from the Media Audit, please
visit here.