This will probably show my age but when I first heard about Facebook I thought it sounded kind of pointless.
I didn't even join until 2007.
I have some childhood friends who were after me to join so we could keep in touch.
Initially I found the entire application silly although I enjoyed the ease of keeping up with my friends.
  But I still didn't see how Facebook could help with marketing.
  Then I began getting friend invites from colleagues of mine - people I "know" from online forums.
I paused before accepting the invites; not because I was reluctant to connect further with these people but because I was a little uncomfortable with the Facebook platform.
 Facebook has a "wall" where people can add comments.
And since some of my childhood friends remember less dignified events in my life, I worried whether this would result in a public image that doesn't match my business.
Things I did when I was 17 don't really apply to my life - or my business - today.
    However, I started to see more and more business people using Facebook as a marketing tool.
Some were rapidly building lists of Facebook friends then gently marketing to these "friends" using fan pages, groups and events.
  I was intrigued by what others were doing and started using Facebook again.
  Here are some reasons to use Facebook for marketing, even if you - or your target market - is over 30: 

1. Unlike MySpace, on Facebook you are not one click away from "Adult themed" pages.
   This can be particularly important if you are marketing to a younger audience.
   However most mature business people I know don't want to see that either.
   
2. While Facebook was originally built to serve the college market, older audiences are joining in record numbers.
   In October 2007, 45 percent of Facebook users were over 35 - up from 37 percent in 2006.
   In March 2009 the fastest growing group on Facebook was women over 55.
   In June 2009 two thirds of Facebook users are outside of college.
   Clearly Facebook is not a tool to be overlooked just because your target market is over 30.
    
3. Because they can control who they are friends with and therefore limit spam, many people are using Facebook as their primary method of communication, instead of email.
   When you are friends with someone on Facebook you know your messages are more likely to be seen.
   Of course, abuse your Facebook friends and they can just unfriend you so you need to tread carefully.
   
4. Even if you assume that the majority of Facebook users are under 30 you never know who they are connected to.
   Their parents may be the decision makers at a Fortune 500 company.
   Connecting with a wide range of people opens you up to their networks.
   

With over 200 million active members, clearly Facebook has become a must-have tool in any small business marketing toolkit.
Regardless of your age or the age of your customers, you can't afford not to be using this tool.