Social Networks and 40-Something Women

More than four out of 10 women in their 40s surveyed in October by SheSpeaks had a social networking profile. And over 70% of women with children ages 13 to 17 had talked about products on social networks, compared with 62% of all responding women.

“40-somethings are active users and members of online social networks,” said Aliza Freud, CEO of SheSpeaks, in a statement. “These women have started to use the Web and social networks in ways that mirror the rest of their lives—from finding out about a product to shopping or monitoring their children’s activities.”

Online Activities* of US Female Internet Users, October 2008 (% of respondents)

The researchers suggested that social media marketing—not just ads on social networks—could be especially effective among women for spreading word-of-mouth, since 26% of respondents actively ignored most online ads and 20% were annoyed by ads on social networking sites.

US Internet Users Ages 45-64, by Gender, September 2008 (thousands)