During the “digital age”, companies attack their target audience with all their arsenal. Still, a segment of the population is mainly neglected in any strategy: the senior generations. For this reason, in this post, I will analyze the situation of digital marketing for seniors and how your company could implement strategies to make this niche profitable.

What can we understand about older people for digital marketing purposes?

Here we could make several differentiations according to different criteria.

If we stick to age and coexistence with digital development, we could include within this group all those over 50-50 years of age, for whom the use of smartphones, digital tools, social networks, etc. Digital marketing for seniors has been a significant learning curve. According to this criterion, we could include in the group of “older people” the boomer generation and those before it.

If we stick to the socioeconomic situation beyond age, a new term emerges, increasingly in vogue when we talk about digital marketing strategies for the elderly: the Senior Generation 4.0

Who would be included in this Senior Generation 4.0?

The Senior 4.0 generation would include, on the one hand, all those over 65 years of age, along with those who are already retired, even if they are not that age.

Therefore we would have:

• Retirees at age 65, whose income comes from their pension, savings, and assets.
• Early retirees: generally over 55 years old.
• Those over 65 are still working and, therefore, receive income from work.

Beyond age and employment status, what does this generation have in common?

They have the two most precious goods: free time and money, and many of them (and more and more).

Adults over 50 years of age represent 50% of consumer spending and include 45% of adults.

They are people who travel and have hobbies related to traditional consumption: they usually go out to bars and restaurants, go to theatres, travel, and read.

And contrary to what many think, they are becoming more accustomed to using technological tools and doing it more and better.

Do you not believe me? Look at these data referring to adults over 55 years of age:

• 85% use a smartphone.
• More than 75% use the internet at home.
• More than 65% have a profile on social networks.

Do you still think that digital marketing is not suitable for the elderly?

Digital Marketing Strategies for Seniors:

If you want to develop digital marketing strategies for older people, you should vary the approach from the one you use for younger people.

You must change the approach of influencer marketing:

Older people tend to have more criteria than younger people, but this does not mean that they do not have figures that profoundly influence them, such as their family environment (especially their children and grandchildren).

Therefore, beyond targeting this sector of the population directly, you can also carry out campaigns aimed at these “influence groups” to support their advice.

For example, although Instagram is not a social network widely used by the elderly, if you work in dermatology or aesthetic medicine, you can use it to reach the daughters and granddaughters of your potential clients and, in this way, even indirectly, get to them.

You must invest time in educating them and in giving yourself authority so that they trust you.

The reason is straightforward: older people are more loyal and less likely to explore. If you earn their trust, they will most likely come back to you for who you are, price aside.

Therefore, you must dedicate time and resources to building this trust and becoming their information channel.

For these generations, concepts such as “customer service” and “user experience” are more critical than immediacy, price, conditions, etc.

Understand the generational values ​​of this group:

Older people claim their place, also in the digital sector, and they do not do it in any way. They want the messages to be tailored to their values ​​and abilities; For them, values ​​such as honesty, authenticity and hard work are essential.

Therefore, if you want to address this group beyond common and indeterminate messages and tools, provide a specific value for them: use their language, adapt the image, and think of them.

Pay special attention to the user experience:

One aspect that most concerns me when developing a website is the user experience, what a person perceives when interacting with a digital tool.

Suppose one of the maxims of effective web development is that this experience is as simple and pleasant as possible, in the case of the elderly. In that case, it acquires even more critical since many of them still feel hostility towards digital environments. Therefore, Therefore; we must make this experience very (but significantly) comfortable and straightforward.

• Make the messages very clear in each case and the benefits they can obtain.
• It enhances customer service, personal contact and traditional communication.
• Make contact procedures simple, clear and direct, without complex forms.
• Create simple and agile communication channels.
• Adapt the web design to the possible sensitive deficiencies of your clients.
• Keep in mind that they most likely do not use the latest device models.

Boost the use of video:

I had already told you that video was one of the digital marketing trends for seniors in 2022; well, it is even more so in the case of older people.

Videos can be excellent methods of reaching larger audiences regarding informing and teaching.

In fact, according to data on digital marketing for seniors from Google, 1/3 of boomers use YouTube to find out about products or services (I include myself, and I vouch for it), and almost 70% regularly watch YouTube videos for entertainment.

This implies that YouTube can be an excellent tool for getting information to older people, also helping to demystify technology and generating trust in the digital world as a friendly environment.

In summary:

Older generations use the internet more than ever, and they also have free time and money, so they represent a huge marketing opportunity, which is often wasted.

Do not be one of the companies that follow this trend and aim for change, commit to creating digital marketing campaigns for the elderly, and you will see how your business appreciates it.