We all spend a lot of time online, including those among us who are of the older generation. While many people have the belief that it’s mostly teens who are device-addicted, we’re all guilty. Even those above the age of fifty tend to be on their devices for many hours a day.
That means if you’re marketing to seniors, you won’t want to discount the digital means of getting their attention. Digital target marketing for seniors can be more important for your business and brand than you might expect. Digital marketing provides a huge opportunity that you cannot find anywhere else.
What do you need to understand about targeted marketing online? How can you make it as relevant as possible to seniors? Read on and we’ll walk you through some essential marketing tips.
Understand Online Senior Habits
The way that those over a certain age interact with the internet is different than the generation below us. Seniors don’t get into the habits or demonstrate the same behaviors as others when it comes to their web-going activities.
It’s important to understand how seniors use the internet if you’re hoping to market to them. This behavior should carve out the very foundation of your online digital marketing plan.
The first thing to note is that seniors are incredibly loyal when it comes to what websites and applications they use when online. Unlike those younger than them, seniors will stick to the same small circle of sites and apps to get their information from.
While younger generations may be open to getting a new application or checking out a new website, those in their senior years will have to be really convinced to reach out and try something new like this.
That means you’ll either have to reach them through the outlets that they are already familiar with, or you’ll need to push really hard to get them to come in your direction.
However, there’s also a hidden perk in this fact. If you do make a connection with a senior consumer, they are likely to come back to you again and again.
Seniors also tend to spend less time on social media than other generations. Only about 20% of the senior generation spends time or opens accounts on social media websites.
However, they do spend a lot of time on websites like YouTube. Seniors spend just as much time on this kind of mass video-sharing site as any other generation, meaning it can be a great place to grab their attention.
Tips for Senior Targeted Marketing
How can you use this knowledge about senior web browsers to your advantage? There are a number of ways to turn the research you can do about your target audience into a dedicated and foolproof marketing plan.
Give Them a Reference Point
If you’re looking to sell a product to the senior generation, you’re going to start to feel some resistance. As we mentioned above, seniors tend to be more closed off to new products, inventions, and ideas as they age.
One way to break through this is to compare your product to something older that is already on the market. Making a strong tie to something that a senior might already have a connection to can make a big difference.
This helps to contextualize your product as a new version of something they are already familiar with, as opposed to something new and potentially confusing. Any reference point can work, as long as it gives your viewer a way to access what you’re trying to sell.
Use Customer Success Stories
As seniors generally tend to be wary of new products, you’ll have to find other avenues to engage with their interests. One way to do so is to craft an appeal to their emotions instead.
A compelling story will stick in the head of a consumer far more than any kind of fact or statistic will. The power of narrative is an impressive one, and one you’ll want to deploy in the proper manner.
What kind of emotional cues might your targeted audience respond to? Depending on the specific demographics of your senior audience, you can likely pick out a few common traits and beliefs.
Finding or crafting a compelling customer story that ties your product to these beliefs can be a powerful marketing opportunity.
Invest in a Little Help
Digital marketing as a whole can be difficult, and it can be even more challenging when targeting a market as tricky to pin down as the senior generation. You couldn’t be blamed for needing a little assistance.
Hiring help from a service like SenioROI can help to expand your business reach to a senior audience. Hiring help from a service such as this can help save you time, money, and effort.
It also can help to increase your overall profitability in the long run, as your investment can turn to increased profits and a dedicated customer base.
Provide Helpful Information
Life can get complicated as you get older, with health threats looming and the weight of a life lived always hanging in the balance. Seniors are always turning to the internet to help educate themselves.
If you can make yourself a helpful source of information and education, there’s a good chance they will return to you again and again.
Taking an education angle on how you interact with this audience can help you endear your brand to this generation.
Understanding Digital Target Marketing
If you’re looking to expand your business, you won’t be able to do so without understanding digital target marketing. Finding out how to connect with seniors online can be an opportunity for your business that you wouldn’t want to overlook.
Need more tech help? Keep scrolling our blog for more.
