Millennials Among Those Who Don't Appreciate Twitter
- by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 2, 2009
The study suggests that only 22% of Millennials use Twitter, the real-time microblogging site that allows posts of up to 140 characters. Of those young people who use Twitter, 85% said they follow friends, 54% follow celebrities, 29% follow family, and 29% follow companies. That's not great news for marketers and companies trying to reach this demographic through the site.
"Twitter has a problem on their hands if they want to become a long-term viable player," says Michael Della Penna, PMN co-founder and executive chairman. "Part of that communication of value must speak to Gen Y and show them the benefit of using Twitter."
Some might suggest that Millennials aren't the only ones who don't see the value in Twitter.
When asked about social networks, nearly all who participated in the survey revealed having an active profile on at least one site. Eighty-nine percent have downloaded an application to their profile page; 89%, photos; 53%, games; 51%, entertainment; 32%, news; and 29%, weather.
Mobile social networking is heating up for Millennials, too. Thirty-eight percent have an iPhone or iPod Touch. More than 50% have downloaded games; 35%, entertainment; 31%, lifestyle; 28% have downloaded free financial applications, and 7% have paid financial applications. More than one-quarter -- 26 percent -- indicated that they have not downloaded any.
PMN conducted the study in May 2009 with its research partner, the Lubin School of Business' Interactive and Direct Marketing (IDM) Lab at Pace University, by questioning 200 PMN panel members and consumers between the ages of 18-24.
This article is the equivalent of focusing on a niche part of the population that does not appreciate Ford one year after the launch of the Model T.
Perhaps Twitter usage skews older because there is a demographic that, having raised teenagers, is more comfortable with communicating where you're not 100% sure anyone is listening to you.
The pressure is on the business to make themselves relevant to the user. If they are broadcasting a hard-sell marketing message 24/7 why would anyone want to follow [insert name of company here] ?
Millennials and others who don't appreciate Twitter or other Social Networks often do not understand the value of professional networking. Millennials have little or no experience with professional networking in the real world so it makes sense they would not understand the value or importance to their career / profession.
Twitter and other social / learning networks are only as good as the network and value you build using the tools.
If you do not know how to build a professional network and relationships in the real world than you will not know how to using Twitter or other tools.
Millenials have been exposed to the most sophisticated (as well as unsophisticated) message bombardment from advertisers in the history of civilization.
As the referenced survey indicates, they have created their own virtual enclaves and gated communities to filter out these advertising and marketing assaults into an on-demand (if necessary) category (as stated by Michael Gruen).
It's not like we didn't see that one coming. One more social media vehicle caught in a rising gridlock of interactive congestion. The question is: how much do we need to be in touch? Answer: not as much as we are, or think we want to be.
Individuality and perspective tend to get lost in the traffic. Attuned to the minutia of existence, we tend not just to see the forest for the trees, but to have our gaze trained compulsively on each blade of grass.
Our worldview does not expand, but instead, shrinks under the steady pedestrian tromp of group think bromides and what I did yesterday, or 20 minutes ago micronarratives.
Following someone on Twitter through all the tweety little hiccups of life is like watching a reality show without the drama, silliness and sexual hyperbole. It's just plain dull. Which, of course, is the one thing millenials cannot abide. As Kurt Cobain so aptly articulated in his millenial mantra, "Here we are, entertain us."
So, it's actually encouraging that the millenials see little value in Twitter. Maybe they'll ultimately end up becoming the vanguard of a new, technology-constrained social order. Maybe they'll take up the mantra of their grandparents and turn off all the electronic devices, go outside, hit a baseball, ride a bike, picnic in the park, or just plain take a walk outside and look up at an un-Photoshopped sky.
Because, at the end of the day, that's what life really looks like on the "big screen."
Christopher Payne-Taylor | Andover, MA
Why must we market to millennials in order to succeed? i would rather market and build for people that actually have $$ to spend and they are 50 plus not millennials.
I think the article points out the struggle traditional marketing companies and individuals wrestle with when contemplating Social Media.
I watch my kids ( millennials) play with the tools they have. They have integrated Myspace, Facebook and Mobile connection devices naturally. If "They" are not present on Twitter, I would suggest developing a relationship with them- WHERE THEY ARE.
For Twitter's sake, I hope the "millenials" don't find out that the older gen is using it. If their parents are on it, they'll flee!
Without knowing the demographics of the "200 PMN panel members and consumers between the ages of 18-24", I can not totally buy into the research. I have seen other research that showed twitter usage and demographics were skwed by the tech centers accross the country. In other words, San Francisco was dramtically different than a non tech savy city. For a twitter research study to deliver actionable results, I would want to see at a minimum at least two panels. One panel that matches the current twitter's USA demographics and one that macthes the USA's demographics. This way I can see comparisions between the two and then design research to follow-up the first study to delve deeper into the analysis.
@dmgerbino