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Social Networking Diversifying Fast To Capture Every Possible Opportunity!
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As we had earlier blogged about the social networking sites taking over the world, the trend is fast evolving into tapping the available opportunities as well as fast creating the opportunity for the lay man to improve their lifestyle. We had even blogged about a social networking sites like babajobs.com creating employment opportunities for the poor.
In this age of web 2.0 highly influencing and evolving the nature of content on the internet, social networking sites have become primarily important for most people across the globe. Social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and others are thriving fast and taking over the world by being an ingredient part of every internet savvy individual’s life.
The trend of social networking websites taking birth on the internet has started to diversify fast and tap into various age segments as well. Recently, A British company namely the Saga Group firm which targets only the over-50’s age segment for its products and services has recently launched a social networking site like facebook specifically for older Britons. The Saga group offers travel & holiday packages, financial The UK firm launched ‘Saga Zone’ in order to offer a forum for ‘exchange’, just like MySpace and Facebook for oldies.
With regards to the launch, Saga Group boss Andrew Goodsell said
“Internet is a place where the over-50s are thriving. Saga Zone is a place where they can mingle and chat about issues important to them, be they amusing or serious,”.
The Saga Zone service is very much similar to the services of Facebook, Orkut and others wherein users above the age of 50 years can create ‘profiles’ which can include their pictures, some personal, professional and other information as well as cool notes about their likes, dislikes, hobbies and much more. The website also has the facility to open a new discussion group wherein other users can also take part and contribute to any discussion on any topic or even be a part of other online activities.
Interestingly, the Saga Zone website had a trial version of it which attracted almost 13000 people when it was launched four months ago. The trial had chat groups which discussed on various topics such as relationships and gardening. To note further, currently the oldest person signed up at the website is 87 years of age which is considerably a remarkable achievement for the website. The fact that figures released by industry watchdog Ofcom has proved the ’silver surfers’, as they are known, have more free time to enjoy and money to spend, and as of the trend today, are spending more time to surf the internet online.
Ofcom has mentioned in its report:
“Older people are also consuming more media. The over 55s was the only age group to increase its average radio listening between 2002 and 2007 (up 5.5%). And older people are not just increasing their use of traditional media. Some 16% of over-65s use the web. These silver surfers spend an average of 42 hours online every month, more than any other age group. Indeed, far from being just a young person’s technology, one quarter of all UK internet users are over 50 and the over-50s account for 30% of total time spent online.”
The ‘grey pound’ as they are known in UK have become a growing force for the UK economy. According to a poll, nearly two thirds had bought electrical goods online while almost three-quarters of over-50s had used the internet to buy flights and books.
It is to be seen whether Indian social networking sites like BigAdda.com, minglebox.com and others diversify into the oldies age segment and tap the opportunity this particular age group holds. In fact, it is also to be seen whether sites like linkedin can come out with something creative for those who are retirees and tap on the potential the retirees hold for the business executive or the professional individual with respect to their experience, contacts and technical expertise in various sectors of various industries across the globe.
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