How to Market to Baby Boomers on Social Media

Babe boomers. There are many different variables which marketers must consider when targeting the audience. One of those is past generation. In today'due south mail, we examine the baby boomer generation and what brands need to know when marketing to them.

For the by decade or so, digital marketers have worked themselves into a lather trying to figure out what millennials want ( the general consensus is that it's avocados ), but far less time has been spent trying to figure out how to connect with older audiences, namely babe boomers born between 1946-1964.

That could be because conventional digital marketing wisdom says that baby boomers simply aren't online. But that's no longer true. According to Google, the U.S. boomer population, which consists of almost 80 million people, now spends more fourth dimension online than they do watching television. Simply targeting boomers with the same influencer posts and gifs that resonate with millennials probably isn't going to piece of work on their parents and grandparents.

What is the all-time way to market to infant boomers?

Baby Boomers Marketing #ane – Boomers are tech savvy

The stereotype of boomer parents and grandparents asking millennials to come over and show them how Siri works doesn't really utilize to Boomers in reality. Co-ordinate to a study by DMN3, 96% of baby boomers employ search engines, 95% utilize email, and 92% shop for products and services online rather than shopping in stores and shopping malls.

However, what many marketers don't understand about reaching Boomers online is that older customers aren't necessarily using the platforms in the same ways as their children and grandchildren, so taking boomer's online preferences into consideration is central—they are the "me" generation, subsequently all!

Baby Boomers Marketing #ii – Toll matters

In the broader conversation about marketing, we tend to talk nearly the research phase, or the top of the funnel, as if information technology were a one-size-fits-all suggestion. However, studies show that there'south definitely a generation gap when information technology comes to what consumers are looking for as they research and compare prices, and this is something to consider when marketing to baby boomers.

A recent study by BRP consulting called "Consumer Shopping Habits—The Generation Gap," breaks consumers into ii groups: digital consumers, generally around 18-37 years sometime, and traditional consumers, who are over 38. Both types of consumers are researching products online before they purchase: 97% of digital consumers and  90% of traditional consumers research online.

Yet, the groups vary in what they're researching. Digital consumers are more interested in product reviews, while 64% of traditional consumers are comparison products by price. So making sure that boomers have immediate admission to price points and access to special offers should be the top priority in appealing to older audiences at the meridian of the purchase funnel.

Baby Boomers Marketing #3 – Find them on social

It'southward pretty unlikely that yous're going to reach your boomer audiences on Snapchat or Instagram. Only that'south non to say that older audiences don't love social media.

In fact, 82% of baby boomers who use the internet regularly have at least one social media account. Well-nigh 75% of all U.S. infant boomers are on Facebook, and 35% employ business concern-focused networking sites, such equally LinkedIn. And while millennials with their noses buried in social media may be a boomer punchline, they're spending their fair share of time on social every bit well, about i 60 minutes and forty-eight minutes per solar day, on average.

Infant Boomers Marketing #4 – Video gets a groovy response

When marketing to baby boomers, if you lot're looking to connect with Boomer audiences on Facebook and LinkedIn, your all-time bet is to create easily sharable video content. Infant boomers are actually 19% more likely to share content on social media than whatever other demographic, and 54% of boomers watch video online, with 43% naming Facebook as their preferred video platform.

So what kind of videos should you lot exist making? Creating informative videos that move at a slower pace than the high-intensity, gif-like videos that resonate with millennials is your best bet to get boomers both viewing and sharing. And yous might want to take it easy the net slang since boomers only understand nigh 37% of information technology.

Baby Boomers Marketing #5 – In-shop experience matter

And once you get boomer audiences viewing and sharing video online, making sure your digital marketing strategy connects to your in-shop experience is incredibly of import. Boomers expect great customer service that provides quick access to the products they're looking for, both in-store and online.

Traditional customers are much more likely to want in-store experiences that relate to product availability and accessibility than digital consumers. Co-ordinate to the BPR written report, 63% of traditional consumers say it's important for in-store associates to be able to order out-of-stock products for them, and threescore% say that they'd like the ability to search in-store inventory availability.

Summary

Retrieve, boomers are tech-savvy and looking to use their online interactions with brands to brand their lives easier. And so whether you're starting a chat with a Facebook video, inviting boomers in-store with product offers, or helping them find available inventory, a seamless, straightforward make feel that focuses on products and price will help win over the crowd that remembers the original Woodstock.

Volume a Meeting of Skai

Share this post