eMarketer had a good article this morning about how many businesses are missing the boat when it comes to marketing to Baby Boomers.
Here’s the short story…
Baby Boomers spend more time and more money online than any other age group–between 36.5 hours and 39.3% hours per month, and spending$650 on average over a three-month period in 2010. In comparison, Generation X internet users spent $581 and millennials spent $429.
They’re increasingly surfing the internet from their mobile phone too–about 25% of them are mobile web friendly and that number is expected to soar to 40% by 2015.
- If you’re marketing to consumers online and not paying attention to Boomers, you’re seriously missing out.
Boomers don’t mind being marketed to and have actually come to expect it. After all, they grew up “being chased by marketers and advertisers that tailored products and brands to appeal to them.” But now, they feel marketers have forgotten about them–as even the big Boomer-focused trend from a few years ago has fallen off.
- The bottom line–there’s a HUGE opportunity for those who are willing to target their products, services and marketing to them.
BUT you have to be careful how you do it. “Boomers are immediately turned off by association with old age, infirmity and decline,” eMarketer says. So to “speak their language” and capture their attention, you need to turn these negatives into positives.
- For example, instead of talking about their fears of getting sick and frail, you stress the benefits you offer that contribute to feeling healthy and strong.
In short, if Boomers are part of your audience, finding ways to focus your products, servcies and markets on them could be very profitable for your business.
