Congratulations to Facebook for reaching the 300-million-user milestone (and for turning a profit)! Its power and reach are undeniable, and as a community it would rank as the world's fourth-largest country. None of us needs convincing of its historic growth, influence and vast potential for marketers. But, in a virtual world where nothing should surprise: When and how did Face book turn our parents into social media mavens? When my own mother recently called and said, "You will not believe who sent me a friend request," I went from Facebook believer to certified apostle.

Image Credit: TIME

Mom is not the exception – Baby Boomers are connecting to Facebook in droves. A TIME magazine article earlier this year looked at the evolution of the site from virtual college hangout to an online Boomer party – during the first half of 2009, the number of people in their 50s on the site more than doubled. Older Facebook users now represent about 10 percent of the total 77.7 million registered U.S. members according to iStrategyLabs data. Forrester Research released a report earlier this year revealing the percentage of older Boomers consuming social media has reach 60 percent!

The numbers do not lie – AARP, an organization driven to “enhance the quality of life as we age,” has both national- and state-based Facebook fan pages with thousands of members interacting and posting comments and photos. While more traditional marketing efforts still have a place in reaching mature audiences, consumer programs should, and now must, integrate social media vehicles as a key driver to connect with and create a two-way dialogue with Boomers.

-- Byron Calamese, Director