Who Uses the Internet? And why you should care.

Although I talk a lot about using online marketing tactics... not everyone uses the Internet. Latest data from Pew Internet and eMarketer shows that overall 24% of people do not have any internet connection. Who are they? See chart below.

Generally speaking the people with no Internet connection are quite old (over 70 years of age) and those at the low end of the socio-economic spectrum.

This may come as no surprise to many of you. And admittedly, there aren't many businesses who are focused on the over 70's market.

But other data that is worth closer scrutiny includes that 21% of Baby Boomers (people now aged 43-61 years) don't have Internet access. That's 1 in 5 Boomers!

If your market is Baby Boomers then this is important.

* How do you target and market to the 1 in 5 that don't go online?
* Which offline/traditional marketing tactics offer best ROI for this audience?
* Is the offline group worth pursuing if the marketing costs are significantly higher?

It's important to investigate all opportunities to communicate with your target audience. Only then can you make educated decisions about what to do, and what NOT to do.