Twitter not attracting Gen Y'ers like socnets

A poll of Generation Y'ers has found that while social networking is definitely a hit with the generation, Twitter hasn't yet caught on.

by Helen Leggatt

When Participatory Marketing Network (PMN) and Pace University's business school polled 200 Gen Y'ers they found that while 99% had a social networking profile on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, under a quarter (22%) used Twitter.

Of those that used Twitter, the majority (85%) do so to follow friends, found the poll, while 54% keep tabs on celebrities and 29% follow family members and businesses.

"Twitter dominates the news, but clearly we're only touching the surface of its potential as a marketing vehicle," said Michael Della, Participatory Media Network co-founder and chairman.

"This is a classic 'glass half full' scenario for Twitter because it's clear that Gen Y has an appetite for social networking, but still hasn't fully embraced micro-blogging. There is a tremendous opportunity now for marketers to develop strategies to get this important group active on Twitter too."

Tags: Facebook MySpace, Gen Y'ers, Generation Y, microblogging, Participatory Media Network, social networking, Twitter