Recently, I’ve been trying to convince a client that a newspaper ad isn’t the only cost effective way to reach the mature and baby boomer populations. Yes, most wake up at 6 a.m. every day for the hell of it and yes, playing competitive bunko games is their idea of gambling.

However, let me assure you that assuming this generation is lagging behind in social media presence is a drastic misconception.

Nearly half of generation baby boomers actively use a form of social media. Of those who do, 73% use Facebook, and 40% actually use the less popular MySpace. Also, about a third of the mature population, age 63-75, is present on some form of social media, according to emarketer.com.

As for the generation X, generation Y and the millennials, around 3/4 of each generation are on social media.

The most populated form of social media right now for all generations is Facebook, but surprisingly, MySpace has a larger overall representation than Twitter.

What this means for Twitter: those on Twitter who actively use it, do so mainly for news purposes and knowledge of their preferred hobby. What this means for your social media business endeavors: being active and informative on Twitter is extremely cost effective when targeting those in a niche market. Why? Because if they decide to follow you, they actually want to hear what you’re saying or what types of deals you can make them. Hot damn! They’re there to do business!

What you can tell your clients: no matter what age group you’re targeting, social media is an effective way to reach them. Yes, even the older ones.

You can’t ignore the numbers, people.