Marketing to Baby Boomers: 8 Digital Marketing Tips

Many businesses continue focusing on millennials and Generation Z without realizing that baby boomers are the major contributors to the US economy.

There is a reason why they are termed as a marketer’s dream.

That’s why if you haven’t yet considered including them in your target audience, maybe it’s time.

Marketing to baby boomers is quite different than marketing to any other generation. Only when we are able to understand these differences, we will be able to form the right digital strategy to attract and convert them.

 

Who Are Baby Boomers?

Digital Marketing Baby Boomers

The baby boomer generation is the generation that is born post world war ll between 1946-64.

There are almost 78 million baby boomers.

They were born before technology has taken control of every aspect of our lives.

They are new to technology but the younger generation has taught them a lot and now, even they are adapting it in their day-to-day lives.

It is important for every business online to update their digital marketing plan to include baby boomers.

They search online, shop online, and have even started socializing online. They are no longer the generation who can be reached only through direct mails, TV ads, and radio ads.

Another important thing about them is that they were born in a time of prosperity – a time when they spent freely and saved hardly.

Then came the time for recession and with that, everything went down. The stock market crashed and the home prices came down as well.

As baby boomers were not saving much, they were hit the hardest. Finally, this led to a new life of rethinking and reevaluating their spending and saving habits.

 

What Are Baby Boomers Buying Online?

ecommerce marketing

In this era of technology and the internet, no generation is left behind in the usage of online mediums for satisfying their needs. Be it availing information, or buying, everyone has reaped the benefits on online platforms.

Similar is the case with baby boomers. They are also exposed to this environment and engage themselves in online buying behavior.

According to a report, 30% of the baby boomers own smartphones. As per the reports of 2019, Youtube and Facebook are the most used social media platforms by them.

It is interesting to see what these baby boomers are buying online and what their overall buying habits are. If you have noticed at your home, how the generation of baby boomers behave, then I don’t think it needs any explanation. It is very simple and self-explanatory.

These sets of people are highly influenced by discounts on the prices of products. This is the major reason for them getting attracted to online platforms.

Baby boomers are more willing to spend on premium products or services as compared to the younger generation. 

Here are a few key categories of their purchase. It includes- Pharmaceutical and healthcare products, household goods, appliances, wine or alcohol, books, skincare products, and many more.

The main motive of baby boomers is to get a seamless experience while buying. In Fact, if you notice they are not afraid to pay extra for the premium services. They just expect a good experience without any hassle.

They are likely to spend more on home improvement. As they are the older generation and have spent most of their time in hard work and labor, they are now aiming to relax in a good home environment with a good lifestyle. 

 

Why Target Baby Boomers?

baby boomer advertising

If you’re launching a new product or if you’re expanding your market and are considering whether or not to include baby boomers in your audience, here are some points that will ease your decision-making process.

 

1. Wealthiest Generation

Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation of all. As a matter of fact, 35% of the US baby boomers population controls 70% of the US disposable income.

I guess that should be enough to convince you that if you are not marketing to them, you are losing a lot.

2. They Have the Time To Shop

Born between the years of 1946-64, they have either entered retirement or are soon going to. This means that they are going to have plenty of money as well as plenty of time to shop.

This opens up plenty of opportunities for companies to sell their products and services to them.

3. Biggest Market

They are the biggest consumer market. Almost 40% of the consumer market is made up of them.

Targeting them exposes your product to the majority of consumers.

 

 

8 Expert Tips for Reaching Baby Boomers Through Digital Marketing

amazon baby boomer ads

1. Go Computer-friendly

Even though millennials prefer the convenience of using mobile phones for everything, baby boomers still love their laptops. Almost 31%  of them prefer using laptops over phones. (Data by Millward Brown)

If you’re planning to start your digital marketing strategy to target baby boomers, make sure you make their digital experience with your brand on a computer as pleasurable as it can be.

Also Read: 5 Powerful Digital Channels to Increase Sales for Ecommerce Brands

 

2. Start Building Trust

Surviving the recession has left them very cautious with money.

They don’t make any buying decisions based on just their impulses.

They love learning more about the product, watching videos about it, and reading blogs to gain as much information as they can. 

That’s why if you are planning to market your products to baby boomers, make sure that you are providing all the information about your product and its benefits.

Make sure that the information is reliable and relevant otherwise your strategy can backfire.

In the end, you have to remember that you have to build their trust in your brands and when that happens you will have the most loyal customer base.

 

 

3. Write and Then, Write Some More

Neither baby boomers are afraid of long texts nor have short attention spans.

Unlike millennials and generation Z who are not able to maintain their attention for too long and show more interest in videos rather than written texts, baby boomers love reading long and scary blocks of content.

They grew up in a time when people used to read the entire newspaper.

So, change your content marketing strategy to reflect that. No need to be short and concise.

You can go as detailed as you want to about a topic. You should always try to create content that is informative, relevant, and well-researched. See, digital marketing to baby boomers is not that complicated.

4, Focus on Search Engine

When it comes to all the digital channels that can be used to reach an audience, search engines prove the most effective form for targeting baby boomers. They search online for everything.

Most of their actions are inspired by what they see on search engines rather than social media, banner ads, websites, videos, or any other form of digital marketing.

If you want to bridge the gap between your products and baby boomers, it’s time to start working on your SEO and search engine ads. If you need help with those, reach out to us.

 

5. Get on Facebook

As the younger generation continues migrating to Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, Facebook still remains the most popular social media channel among baby boomers.

If social media marketing is a part of your digital marketing plan, make sure that you include Facebook marketing and Facebook advertising.

The base of anything in business is formed on the basis of strong research and understanding.

Before you’re able to target baby boomers, you need to be one of them.

Not literally, but mentally.

 

You have to learn more about them.

    1. Who they are?
    2. What do they like?
    3. Why do they like that?
    4. Why do they react the way they do?

     

And when you will get answers to all these questions, you will be able to attract them to your brand easily. Get in touch to know who you can target baby bloomers for your products, services, or industries.

 

6. Focus On Customer Service

A very good and effective tip for reaching the baby boomers is to focus on providing the best customer service.

When you provide practical and exceptional customer service it helps you win over the baby boomers. 

Remember, they are always interested in one-to-one interaction. It may be at stores or at online platforms. Live chats can be a better option on digital grounds.

Also, go with designing user-friendly websites.

This is also a great way to improvise their experience when they visit your website.

Provide an easily accessible hub where your customers are able to get all the relevant answers to their business-related queries.

 

7. Encourage Online Purchases

It is very true that baby boomers have not much accessed the internet during their times but they are actually using it now with their changing needs.

So, it is very important for you to encourage them to purchase online. Tell them that they can now easily get anything just by sitting on their couch.

Though there is no doubt that baby boomers visit online platforms and see things to purchase but when it comes to buying they are very hesitant.

So, it is your duty to make them believe you and provide easy access to your online stores in a simple manner.

Place an attractive call to action and let them purchase according to their convenience.

 

8. Keep Your Promises

Promises help you stay consistent with your target audiences and their needs. When marketing to baby boomers, keep your promises. 

What you say, you should provide. Do not exaggerate things that make you unapproachable in the later stage.

For instance, if you tell your customers that your product or service can solve their problem, you better need to follow through with that promise.

Do not mislead them as it can hamper your brand image and lower your target customer base.

Keeping promises is all about maintaining trust and bonds between your business and your customers.

 


“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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