Baby boomers are surprisingly worthwhile target customers for web-based firms, but many businesses have failed to effectively reach them. Boomers are online and willing to spend more money than most other generations. The reasons vary from the fact that many have a great deal of wealth they’ve been able to save and they simply have more time to surf the web. This group does have some general attributes that you should know if you intend to market to them. The following is a guide to help you in marketing to baby boomers online, so read on to find out what works for this target audience.
A Guide to Marketing to Baby Boomers and Seniors Online
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Community
One of the most crucial characteristics to know about boomers is that they are a community. They trust their friends and rely on each other for referrals about products and services. Instead of believing advertising claims, boomers will listen to friends or other boomers’ opinions of a company. Use the boomer community to get the buzz going about your business.
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Listen
Boomers have often been difficult to reach with general marketing strategies because businesses do not understand them. To get insight into what boomers want, ask them. Find out what boomers are thinking and saying (telling their friends) about your company. If you listen to them, the results will be significant.
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Email Marketing
Email is the most popular online tool marketing to baby boomers. Send emails with personal recommendations, real testimonials, or specific marketing information.
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Readability
Since boomers are older, many of them have more trouble with their vision; especially on a computer screen. So make sure all your online marketing to baby boomers is readable. The right font choice could make a difference in the time a boomer will give to reading your website. Use a sans serif typeface, 12-14 pt font, black and white with color emphasis, and avoid anything distracting such as patterns.
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Youthful
Baby boomers know they are getting older, so do not remind them. Blatantly marketing products to older customers will turn off most boomers because they want to feel younger not older. Even though they are more mature, boomers still want to be treated as a young, powerful generation.
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Location
Baby boomers spend most of their time on websites related to healthcare, travel, activity, leisure, social networks, news and dating websites. Find places on these websites to advertise for your business. Boomers also read magazines from all the previously listed areas and look up websites from magazine ads, so do not give up your print ads within these industries.
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Quality
As a whole, baby boomers are educated. They read, know what they like and do not like, research products using the Internet and are looking for experiences more than products. Boomers want to live a quality life and are willing to pay for it. Don’t use gimmicky or flashy ads to attract them because they will tend not to trust your business if it doesn’t look experienced.
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Catered Technology
Baby boomers are more technologically savvy than most marketers believe. Most use the Internet frequently and many have smartphones. Boomers are reachable through many of the same places as younger generations; however, businesses must learn how to cater to them using the tips above.
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Marital Status
Today, a sizeable proportion of boomers is divorced or has outlived a spouse. Don’t assume that a picture of a boomer-aged couple will be effective on all or even most boomers. Research and consider your target audience as you design your advertising.
In conclusion, baby boomers are a critically important group; if only businesses can learn how to market to baby boomers. The time and resources companies spend marketing to baby boomers will pay off when they do their research and make meaningful connections with them. The key, as always, is to research this audience and know them completely to really be able to reach out and develop relationships that will result in sales.
Author’s Bio: Tara Hornor has a degree in English and has found her niche writing about marketing, advertising, branding, web and graphic design, and desktop publishing. She writes for PrintPlace.com, an online printing company that offers folded brochures, business cards, flyers, posters, postcards, full color booklets, and more printed marketing media. In addition to her writing career, Tara also enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Connect with @TaraHornor on Twitter.