Here is another piece of research. It’s already a week or so ‘old’ but I just found it when sifting through my inbox and the PRWeb press releases from the last weeks (have to clean that inbox and fast).
According to a survey, conducted by CPH Research, on behalf of Continuum Crew, Baby Boomer-aged respondents’ anxiety has shifted from the collapse of the economy to the cost of health care.
What does this have to do with this blog? Well, in fact, nothing. But the survey also found some interesting things on the media consumption of this age group (generation born between 1946 and 1964).
In fact, I quote, “the only media activity to rise dramatically (in this age group) was time spent on the Internet.
Furthermore, it’s not only time spent on the Internet that has gone up. The survey found “that social media has significantly carved out time generally reserved for traditional media”.
According to CPH Research, the “majority of Ikes and Boomers have joined the popular social networking site Facebook within the last 6 months”.
Welcome to the new ‘Social Media Maven’
The folks at Continuum Crew themselves describe this evolution as the “Emergence of the New Social Media Maven”.
And it seems that the survey kind of proves that. I quote: “In the survey’s measurement of levels of social media involvement, clear respondent types appeared, based on levels of interpersonal contact (whether in-person or not) and levels of recommendation of products or services to those in their personal or social network. One of these respondent types forms a significant segment to emerge within the Boomer group, which is dubbed the new ‘Social Media Maven’: the Boomers who said they connected with the most contacts each day and made the most recommendations. The profile of this group is one that is heavily connected, exploring and expanding their networks”.
Social media Boomers are recommenders
What should we now more about these social media mavens? Sorry, I quote again: “These Social Media Mavens have more frequent contact with individuals across all types of groups within their social network, not just family or neighbors, but issue-oriented groups and co-workers as well (73% responded ‘People often come to me for advice’). Not merely amassing ‘friends’ or ‘connections’ within these networks, they are communicating regularly….Social Media Mavens are more likely to try new products, technologies and seek new experiences. They are recommenders who embrace the role of technology in their connected lives”.
Interesting findings. These ‘Social Media Mavens’ not only embrace social media, but they’re also recommenders and thus, as I called them in the title of this post, influencers…
There’s much more in the press release, so click here to read it all.
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