• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, April 13, 2011

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.