Social network appeals to "lost" generation

A new social network has launched that promises to put advertisers in touch with the lost generation. What is the lost generation? Called "Generation Jones", this group of online users is between the Boomer Generation and Generation X and could be a lifeline for online marketers.

by Kristina Knight

The Boomj network is set up to appeal to those users between the ages of 41 and 64. That age group makes up more than one-third of the total online population. What sets this social network apart is that it differentiates between the "older" Boomers (born just after World War II) and "younger" Boomers who were young children in the 1960s. This younger age group has been largely forgotten as advertisers have focused on those born just after WWII ended.

According to recent research from JupiterResearch, social networks will begin to soar, helping to push online ad revenue to more than $30 million. However, if ads aren't correctly targeted to users on specific social networks the campaigns won't show the kind of return marketers want.

With all the different social networks, multiple ads are likely the best bet for marketers. Gearing ads on MySpace to those in their late teens or early twenties, ads of Facebook to students and ads on sites like Eons.com or Boomj.com to Boomers will increase the ROI of any campaign. Just like traditional television or newspaper ads, online ads that are correctly targeted will have a great chance of appealing to the right consumer.