Why you should market to Baby Boomers
You’ve heard how important it is to create targeted marketing strategies for your audiences, but how exactly do we accomplish this? How do we define our audiences and determine the most effective content that will provide value?
In continuation of our series of Generational Marketing, we will explore the answers to those questions while providing insight into what makes each generation unique, how they are influenced, and how marketing using certain social media platforms for specific groups can be beneficial to your business. Beginning with why marketing to Baby Boomers makes good business sense.
Marketing to Baby Boomers:
Baby Boomers are the second largest generation in the US with over 80% belonging to at least one social networking site.
The impact of Baby Boomers in media consumption may be surprising, but it creates a unique marketing opportunity and competitive advantage. Considering the diversity of this generation with many working longer than previous generations while others are retired with additional time on their hands, they have more expendable income than any other demographic. Their buying power is underestimated due to the focus on younger generations but is one that should not be ignored. Baby boomers are not only marketable but a valuable generation that seeks to be relevant with current trends while making use of the technology that’s available. Understanding how they interact with technology is what is important.
Choosing the Right Platform:
- Over 80% of Boomers use Facebook to connect with friends and family and to search for information. Many spend over 10 hours a week on Facebook alone.
- Over half of Boomers who use social networking sites visit a company website or continue their research on a search engine as a result of seeing something on social media
- 26% of female boomers are likely to share content or express themselves online
- Over 90% use email to communicate and read about products and services they are interested in
Choosing the right content:
- Baby boomers are focused on finding information and are more likely to visit a business website and continue researching once seeing something interesting on a social media site
- Drawn to information and videos that have a slower pace, provide detailed insights, and feel relatable
- Value the importance of work and seek to express their opinions and views with others based on their experiences
- Desire to be involved. Many enjoy interactive content that asks for their opinion.
- More likely to use a computer to shop online
5 tips that you can implement now to better engage with Baby Boomers:
- Build your email list and schedule regular email campaigns.
- Write regular Blogs and use the content to post to your Facebook page. Redirect your Facebook followers back to your blog for the full content.
- Be sure that your business location and contact information are on your website and within your email campaigns
- Write content on your social media sites, and website that is precise and to the point. Keep jargon and buzz words to a minimum
- Encourage engagement by soliciting their input via polls, opinions, comments etc.
Sources:
12 Outstanding Statistics on Baby Boomers and Social Media
About the author
Wendy Navarro, CEO
Wendy is the results-driven CEO of Nashville Area Digital Marketing Agency NAVARRO CREATIVE GROUP. Since 2015, she has been helping clients transform business expertise into brand authority by leveraging innovative marketing strategies.