Overlinked

Consumers 18 to 24 have come to embrace social networks but have yet to include Twitter in that hug, according to new research from the Participatory Marketing Network, a trade association promoting social marketing.

According to a study conducted in May on 200 Gen Y members of a PMN panel, 99% of the group said they currently have one or more active profiles on social networks such as Facebook or MySpace. But only 22% of that same group said they are actively using microblogging service Twitter.

The study was conducted by the PMN together with the Interactive and Direct Marketing lab at Pace University’s Lubin

This is an interesting research study that shows how young adults dominate social networks like Facebook. An astonishing 99% are on these networks and enjoy using them to communicate with their friends.

For marketers who are considering how to use these social networks, consider the headline "Twitter's for Friends, Not Brands". This cuts to the heart of your marketing strategy. Do not do branding on social networks. Do not copy your old traditional mass marketing strategies to a platform that is as one-to-one as door to door selling.

Instead, think back to how business flourished in the early 1900's before radio and television. Salespeople themselves made a difference. Word of mouth made a difference. Companies doing public good made news (thus word of mouth too). I hope the new campaigns that we see out in the next couple of years on Twitter and Facebook keep this spirit alive and re-galvanize it, as we can learn alot from the past.