Odnoklassniki: Why its Audience Makes It...
“Odnoklassniki? Seriously?” — this is the most common reaction when mentioning this social network in conversations with marketers and business owners. The platform, which many are used to considering as a “checkmark for the sake of a checkmark” or a place for grandmothers and nostalgic classmates, turns out to be one of the most underestimated sales channels in 2026.
While businesses chase youth on TikTok and Telegram, where competition is overheated and customer acquisition costs grow every month, a quiet revolution is happening where no one expects it. In Odnoklassniki. The platform, which many had written off, shows stable growth in advertising activity, and most importantly — it is turning into a “gold mine” for those targeting an affluent, loyal, and engaged audience aged 35+.
This article is about why the stereotype “Odnoklassniki is not serious” costs businesses millions of rubles in lost profits, how the platform has changed in recent years, and why now is the best time to enter OK.
Part 1. Audience Profile: 35+ — not "grandmothers", but people with money
Let's start with the main thing — debunking a myth. The Odnoklassniki audience over 35 years old is not "pensioners who don't know how to use the internet." These are people in their prime, with stable incomes, established consumer habits, and, importantly for business, a high level of trust in the platform.
Figures that change the perspective on the platform
According to the social network itself, the number of advertising campaigns targeting the 35+ audience increased by 23% in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The number of ad impressions to this group grew by 19% year-on-year. And this is not a coincidence — advertisers vote with their wallets where there is a return.
A key figure that should make you think: the share of impressions to users over 35 years old exceeded 90% of the total advertising volume on the platform. Nine out of ten advertising messages in Odnoklassniki are shown precisely to this age group. Why? Because they respond. Because they buy.
User profile: who are these people?
These are not "geeks" or "early adopters" who chase every new trend. These are:
- Women and men aged 35–55 who are already established in their careers and personal lives.
- People who make large purchases: real estate, cars, expensive household appliances, home goods.
- Parents who make decisions about purchasing goods for children and family.
- People who care about their health and are willing to invest in it.
- Those who furnish their homes, do renovations, work on their dachas and gardens.
They visit Odnoklassniki not for endless scrolling of memes, but for communicating with real friends and relatives, participating in thematic groups, and receiving useful information. This is a fundamentally different type of engagement — deeper and more conscious than in social networks with an endless "recommendation feed."
Igor Inkulets, Head of Advertising Monetization at OK, confirms this trend: “We see a steady growth in brands' interest in the 35+ audience on Odnoklassniki. This segment is organically growing and remains one of the most active on the platform — people read, watch, and interact with content more. Additionally, users in this age category show a high response to advertising offers and are more likely to perform target actions.”
Part 2. A new old platform: what has changed in Odnoklassniki
If you haven't visited Odnoklassniki in the last couple of years, you might not recognize the platform. The social network is actively developing, implementing new formats and tools, attracting bloggers, and investing in technology.
Technology and convenience
The platform has updated its privacy system, launched a fully adapted web version for visually impaired users, and implemented a neural network to reduce toxic comments. A dating service has appeared, and the "Hobbies" section with personalized recommendations is developing.
But most importantly — Odnoklassniki has become a full-fledged platform for business. Here you can:
- Create an online store with a product catalog
- Launch targeted advertising with detailed settings by interests and geography
- Use lead forms to collect applications
- Participate in the "Lightning" program for new groups with unique content
The most popular placement channel for advertisers is the Odnoklassniki feed, and the most in-demand format is lead forms for collecting applications and evaluating campaign effectiveness. This indicates that businesses come to OK not for "image advertising," but for specific, measurable results.
Influx of youth: an unexpected effect
In 2026, something unexpected happened. After disruptions and restrictions in the work of Telegram and other popular messengers, young people began to massively register on Odnoklassniki.
The numbers are impressive: in the second half of February, the number of registrations and profile recoveries increased by 15–20%, with users aged 18–25 accounting for the main share. For zoomers, Odnoklassniki has become "digital vintage" — a space with a slower pace, nostalgia, and a sense of "live" communication.
It is not yet clear whether this trend will be long-term. But the very fact of the influx of a younger audience is important: the platform is not stagnating, it is growing and updating. Youth and the older generation coexist not without conflicts for now — long-time users of the platform are not always happy about memes and slang appearing in their feed. But the very fact of the "rejuvenation" of the audience makes OK even more interesting for brands that want to reach several generations at once.
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