Study: Targeting 18 to 34 Year Olds on Social Sites May Flop

ADOTAS http://www.adotas.com/2008/10/study-targeting-18-to-34-year-olds-on-social-sites-may-flop/

by Kathleen 

ADOTAS – Want to target those 18 to 34 year olds? Think twice before blanketing social networks with your message. According to a new study from Ball State University and ExactTarget, 18 to 34 year olds prefer (and are more influenced by) email and direct mail than marketing messages on social sites.

“One of the key findings in this research is that 18- to 34-year-olds claim they are more likely to be influenced to make purchases based on e-mail marketing messages and direct mail than from marketing messages on social networks,” said Mike Bloxham, director, insight and research, Ball State University’s Center for Media Design. “It is too easy to assume that the media consumers choose for their own news, information and entertainment are, by default, the best media to use for marketing messages. This is a dangerous assumption to make in a time when consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their level of control over their media experiences.”