Silver surfers click on Facebook ads, Gen-Y hits Like button

The science of who to target and how via online advertising is becoming more exact on an almost daily basis.

A study from performance marketing company SocialCode into how age and gender affect click through rates shows those in the 50+ age group are 28% more likely to click on an ad on Facebook than those in the 18 to 29 age bracket.

That same 50+ age group is also 9% less likely to hit the ‘Like’ button than the younger age group.

The research also looked at gender and found that women in general are 11% more likely to click on an ad whereas ‘Like’ rates are more even between men and women with men having a slightly higher propensity to ‘Like.’

Again, when it came to the 50+ age bracket, women were 31% more likely to click on an ad than those aged 18-29.

These studies help advertisers improve online targeting through a better understanding of consumer but also demonstrate the increasing influence of social media on all ages.

Facebook overtook Google as the most visited website late last year according to Hitwise and travel brands are incorporating user reviews, booking engines and other apps into their Facebook pages as traffic direct to websites tails off.

A study carried out earlier this year by digital think tank L2 showed traffic to travel branded sites fell 8% year-on-year while the community around travel brands on Facebook grew 20%.