Guess what marketers? The median age for Facebook and Twitter is now over 25. In fact, studies show that the largest single group leading the recent trend is adults 35 to 44. Meaning that buzz you’ve been hearing isn’t just hype after all.

Welcome to version 2.0 of one of the oldest forms of advertising. It excels at three key measures: reach, frequency and targeting. It’s word of mouth marketing on steriods, and it’s definitely here to stay. But, is social media the end-all be-all to traditional advertising? No. Well, not yet anyway. Facebook has been around for years now, but with its popularity exploding the audience has shifted dramatically. In the past two months alone, the number of new members over the age of 35 has doubled. It’s now women over 55 who belong to the fastest growing group.

And this changing demographic doesn’t stop there. One of the most massive increases in audience growth is from Twitter. Already this month, Twitter traffic is up 700 percent over last year, drawing almost 10 million visitors worldwide in February this year. What’s even more surprising is that the average age for users is now 25 to 54-year-olds, making the median age of Twitter users 31.

So, what does this mean for advertising? It means if you have a Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking account, your target audience should be, well, you. Even though a chunk of activity still belongs to a younger demographic, adults are now significantly making an impression on social networks. This means they are more empowered to make decisions for themselves and others—influencing their friends, families and yes, even your brand. The scary exciting part? At the very same moment you are reading this, that number is rising, and fast.

Because social media has shown no signs of slowing, it’s not only become one of the quickest means to desiminate news, but a broadcast medium of instant communication—radically changing brand management, even public relations. While most brands are trying to figure out how to leverage this new medium in the future, we need to be rethinking how we are integrating social media into our online marketing efforts today. This probably means revisiting your business model and reevaluating the way you’re spending advertising dollars.

Just remember, even though social media has become a strong contender, it doesn’t mean it can stand alone. Social media is rapidly changing the way in which media professionals advertise and should be considered an important part when planning a campaign strategy. It’s time even traditional agencies be present, listen and engage—or be left in the dust. It’s called Advertising 2.0. You have the audience. What will you do with it?