told you so! baby boomers, like jerri, are online (and then some!)

this is one social web-savvy granny

Jerri Hesson doesn’t look like she might be as web-savvylicious as she *is* but trust me, this grandma keeps in touch with her grandkids on MySpace, she plurks, tweets and has a Facebook page, too! Businesses, even funeral service providers, who don’t think Baby Boomers are online are truly missing the social web boat. Jerri, as you’ll note, couldn’t agree more!

I am sharing this video interview here (which I am debuting Monday morning @ the North Carolina Cemetery Association’s convention taking place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) because, in general, there have been comments made in the recent past where some funeral home owners or death care professionals dismiss the notion that their marketing and outreach need to become more entrenched on the Internet because, they say, “no one’s out there” or “it’s all hype” or the timeless classic: “Facebook and social networking are for teenagers.”

the web savviness of older americans

We can talk stastistics all day long about how Baby Boomers are flocking to the web in droves but sometimes the stats don’t bring the facts home like a human can. I think Jerri puts a real face to some recent U.S. Census numbers which say:

• 78% of 50-54 year olds are online
• 45% of 70-75 year olds are online
• 67% of 70-somethings use a cell phone on a weekly basis
• Older Americans are 27% more likely to visit travel websites than the average internet user, and 98% more likely to visit health sites
• 77% of 50-somethings, 71% percent of 60-somethings and 52% of 70-somethings report having used a search engine in the past week
• 20% of 50-somethings (like Jerri) have used a social networking site in the past week
• 24% of those 70+ have watched an online video in the past week

moreover…

General conclusions by The Greying Gadgets (November 2008) report writers say that after surveying and analyzing 3,135 adult U.S. shoppers online:

• “Older Americans are a lot like younger Americans.” While differences do exist… 67% of 70-somethings use a cell phone on a weekly basis… a leading indicator that consumer electronics is secured as “mainstream” for older Americans
• In addition, there is a universal frustration with consumer electronics products irrespective of age in that products have “too many features”
• And, the study finds that older Americans are active online, with over 60% of people over 50 using the Internet
• Finally, says the report, older Americans are embracing technology and technology products at a rapidly increasing pace

parting words (for now)

Does this mean that older Americans are on an even footing when it comes to being online? Absolutely not. Rather, what these collective findings *are* finding, however, is that the myth of online surfing, online shopping and social networking being mainly for younger folks and not necessarily older folks is just that … a myth. This aging market segment is, on a daily basis, getting more online than funeral service and death care providers would like to believe or think.

If you don’t believe me … ask Jerri!