Not quite kids any more, yet not quite teens, the age group known as tweens has a good deal of influence on household purchases. Businesses are now starting to use social media to take advantage of that buying power. A business can use social media to promote anything tweens may be interested in. Everything from the latest tech gadgets to handbags, jewelry and more can be promoted to tweens via social media.
Tweens: Who Are They?
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In most cases, tweens are defined as children who are between 8 and 12 years old. They know a lot about technology and are sometimes more knowledgeable in this area than their parents. Tweens tend to want to be older than they really are. They also have a lot of money to spend, collectively. Each year, tweens spend $30 billion of their own funds and get their parents to spend an additional $150 billion. Businesses are scrambling to get a piece of that revenue.
Why Do They Matter?
The answer is really quite simple: Tweens have disposable income that they are willing to spend. While teenagers may be asked to contribute to cell phone bills and other expenses, tweens typically face no such financial pressure. When they are done spending their money, they simply ask their parents for what they want.
A business is more likely to reach a tween when using social media marketing as opposed to using a print ad campaign. A social media campaign that goes viral with tweens is the ideal scenario. Because tweens are growing up at a time when anyone can make a YouTube video and become famous, they may be less likely than older generations to be influenced by celebrity endorsements.
What Do They Want?
Tweens want cell phones, portable game systems, and even tablet computers. When it comes to technology, many tweens have their hearts set on the latest and greatest gadget, regardless of the cost. Parents who are on a budget may find it hard to keep up with the technological tastes of their tweens, but marketers can use this to their benefit.
Although tweens may prefer to shop at stores that appeal to older customers, that isn’t stopping toy manufacturers from trying to get them back. For example, tween girls are being brought back to dolls with Bratz dolls that are geared towards creative self-expression. The dolls are now top sellers – they even have their own Facebook and YouTube page – so the tactics are obviously working. Marketers can take a page from their playbook, and use social media to improve brand visibility to this demographic.
Tweens like “cool.” They want what’s trendy and what’s in. Right now, social media is in, so if a business doesn’t have a social media presence, it may seem out-of-touch or “uncool,” in the eyes of young people. A business needs to have a good product to offer tweens, but smart marketing may be just as important as the product itself.
About Brandon Leibowitz
