5 Digital Marketing Tips to Keep in Mind When Marketing for Seniors

If you thought that marketing in the digital age is for the young, think again. In today’s world, 60 is the new 40! Seniors, comprised of the post-World War 2 Baby Boomer generation, have some astonishing statistics to their credit, which include, but are not limited to the following:

9 million Seniors (ages 51-69) reside in the U.S.
By 2017, half of the U.S. population will surpass the age of 50.
According to the Pew’s [Research Center] Social Media Update, usage of internet by seniors has more than tripled since 2010. Today 35% of people aged 65+ plus report using social media compared with just 2% in 2005.
In the next two decades, the spending by people aged 50+ is expected to increase by 58% to $4.74 trillion.
In the USA alone, Baby Boomers control 70% of the disposable income. They own 80% of the money in savings and loan associations.
49% of tablet users and 40% of Baby Boomer smartphone users make a purchase decision after conducting a search on their device.
82% of Baby Boomers have accounts on at least one social media channel; 5% of Baby Boomers owning a Facebook account spend more than 11 hours per week on the social media channel.
Baby Boomers are avid television watchers and consume about 174 hours in programming per month; 63% more hours than Millennials.

The statistics suggest that investigating the senior demographic is worth the mileage for the potential to your brand. In order to do so, focus your efforts toward digital marketing. While developing your marketing strategy to Seniors, try to keep these 5 tips in mind,

1. (Most) Seniors Like Simple Solutions

Seniors can sometimes feel overwhelmed with advanced technological user-expectations, like trying to understand a complicated digital marketing message. They like things that are easy to absorb, things which provide them easy and reliable solutions.Make sure your digital marketing caters to this need of theirs.

In fact, you may even consider using a direct mailing campaign alongside a digital campaign as this is one of the best ways to reach out to this demographic. With an effective direct mailing strategy in place, you can definitely kick-start your digital marketing campaign for the mature market.

2. Seniors Deliberate

There is a huge difference between marketing to teenagers and marketing to seniors. Teenagers usually buy impulsively whereas seniors tend to deliberate more before they make any purchase. They will tend to think and weigh the pros and cons before putting their money in it.

Your digital marketing needs to keep this in mind too. The message, the content and its form must be such that it helps the seniors reach their decision in favor of your product or service when the deliberations are going on. Even cultural nuances come into play when you are catering to the needs of this generation.

For instance, if you are thinking of marketing to Japanese market, then one of the best ways to approach them is via affiliate marketing. And when stealth marketing is thrown in the mix, the results are spectacular!

3. Seniors Like a Personal Bond

If you create a personal bond with seniors a, helping them build a relationship with your brand through your digital marketing efforts, it is a win- win situation for both. Show them that needs are being taken care of on a personal basis instead of ad- hoc solution. It will win over their brand loyalty. This is the same reason why, Baby Boomers offer startups with tremendous opportunities as opposed to Millennials.

4. Seniors Crave Their Independence

Seniors do not like to depend on others to do things for them. The harder something is to read and understand for them, the more they will feel unable to accomplish their goal without aid.

Make sure that your message reaches them in a form that is simple and easily understandable. At the same time, look out for channels that make it easy for you to reach them and get them to interact and engage with your brand or business. Stitch for instance, is a social networking channel meant exclusively for people in the 50+ years bracket, which can be used to reach out to this particular demographic. Although it is at its infancy stage, you never know what opportunities in terms of marketing you can get on this platform in the years to come!

5. Seniors Search For Positives

Your digital marketing should be able to portray the seniors and their needs in a positive light. The marketing initiatives should aim to portray how your products and services will empower them. They will engage with you if they see how you aim to help them by meeting their specific requirements. Remember, a positive message will always go a long way in attracting people. Some of the Super Bowl advertisements targeted at Baby Boomers are in-sync with this and also evoke nostalgia.

To sum it up, you need to understand that seniors want personalized marketing on digital platform that meet their specific requirements. Once you gain their trust, they are most likely to remain loyal to your brand as compared to other age groups and help you meet your business goals.