Are you a business owner? Or are you running a company? Well, if the answer is “yes,” then it’s time to look at your marketing – and how you’re reaching the boomers. And we can start with when your customers were born.
Here’s why: the population in the U.S. is older than it was just 5 years ago. The demographics and preferences have shifted, and a lot of it is due to an older customer. Most were born between 1946 and 1964. Here’s a number for you: every seven seconds another baby boomer turns 50! And over the next ten years, the boomers will grow by 25% - while every other age category remains stagnant. Wow!
The key of course is reaching these people. You have to reach this market in their geographic area. Online ads are a great way to reach these folks, and you can do some niche marketing and targeting to get to them. Another good tool is online video ads – they’re a lot less costly than network commercials, and the cost of producing these ads keeps dropping.
What are other marketers doing? Here’s some more numbers to consider: almost 90% of brands will be using text and multimedia messaging to reach their audience. And over a third of marketers will be spending 10% or more on advertising using smart phones!
But here’s something else you should consider: don’t’ target these baby boomers by their age; instead, target them by what they’re doing. This is a fluid audience, and as they age, they start to lead cyclical lives. For example, boomers in their 40’s and 50’s may go back to school. They could be divorced and remarried and starting a new family all over again. Focus on their lifestyles when you’re trying to reach them.
Another thing to remember is that the boomer audience is very loyal. They appreciate great service, and will gladly tell their friends when they’ve had a good buying experience (as well as a bad one!) This group has a lot of disposable income; and they like to refer their friends to businesses where they feel appreciated. They’re very receptive to direct mail, because they like to be told the whole story, and direct mail is one medium that can do just that.
Surprisingly, a lot of baby boomers have taken to Facebook and other social media venues. They spend a lot of time online connecting with people – and they also spend a lot of time online shopping! If you want to target these folks, you better have a good website and you’d better be using multiple ways to promote it so the boomers know where to go!
Here’s why: the population in the U.S. is older than it was just 5 years ago. The demographics and preferences have shifted, and a lot of it is due to an older customer. Most were born between 1946 and 1964. Here’s a number for you: every seven seconds another baby boomer turns 50! And over the next ten years, the boomers will grow by 25% - while every other age category remains stagnant. Wow!
The key of course is reaching these people. You have to reach this market in their geographic area. Online ads are a great way to reach these folks, and you can do some niche marketing and targeting to get to them. Another good tool is online video ads – they’re a lot less costly than network commercials, and the cost of producing these ads keeps dropping.
What are other marketers doing? Here’s some more numbers to consider: almost 90% of brands will be using text and multimedia messaging to reach their audience. And over a third of marketers will be spending 10% or more on advertising using smart phones!
But here’s something else you should consider: don’t’ target these baby boomers by their age; instead, target them by what they’re doing. This is a fluid audience, and as they age, they start to lead cyclical lives. For example, boomers in their 40’s and 50’s may go back to school. They could be divorced and remarried and starting a new family all over again. Focus on their lifestyles when you’re trying to reach them.
Another thing to remember is that the boomer audience is very loyal. They appreciate great service, and will gladly tell their friends when they’ve had a good buying experience (as well as a bad one!) This group has a lot of disposable income; and they like to refer their friends to businesses where they feel appreciated. They’re very receptive to direct mail, because they like to be told the whole story, and direct mail is one medium that can do just that.
Surprisingly, a lot of baby boomers have taken to Facebook and other social media venues. They spend a lot of time online connecting with people – and they also spend a lot of time online shopping! If you want to target these folks, you better have a good website and you’d better be using multiple ways to promote it so the boomers know where to go!
