Trying to teach our grandparents to use smartphones is hard, will be an understatement of the year. We all have been there and know exactly how it feels. We all consider people over the age of 50 as tech-phobic. To some extent, it may be true.
This demographic has always been ignored in most online marketing campaigns. Even products or services designed for this age group, use traditional marketing methods. They assume that this part of the world is far away from social media and other eCommerce channels. Most businesses don?t reach out to Baby Boomers, let alone ask them for their opinion or value their feedback. A somewhat twenty years ago it may seem like these people are not part of the online culture but it?s not 2000 anymore.
People who were in this age group 20 years ago have aged up. Those who were defined by computers and smartphones in their adulthood have now moved to the Baby Boomers group. Therefore ignoring them will be a naive mistake and can cost you a big chunk of your potential customer base.
Defining Baby Boomers
Generally defined as people born between 1946 to 1964. Born somewhere around post-world war II. Although the time interval may vary for different countries the cultural identity is almost similar. These people are between the age of 56 to 74 by the end of 2020. Making them the demographic in consideration.
Why listen to Baby Boomers Anyway?
The invention of computers and smartphones took the world by storm by the end of 2000. Baby Boomers were between the ages of 36 to 54. A big part of this generation spent their prime adulthood using technology. As discussed earlier baby boomers are the ones considered the elder generation today. When businesses engage their customers they use all possible channels. Conventional or unconventional, they utilize every tool in their arsenal. What they lack is engaging the baby boomers. Management assumes that this generation is not present on social media, the internet, or any other modern channels. Which creates a void that cannot be fulfilled unless they are engaged.
How to connect with Baby Boomers effectively?
Although this demographic is familiar with modern age technology and its platforms, it is a fact that they have quite different requirements and expectations. According to a study, 14% of people above the ages of 65 were internet users, this number raised to 73% by 2018. With such increased numbers, it is crucial that you reach out to these customers too. Therefore, we will discuss in detail some of the most effective ways to reach out to this potential customer base.
Understand what they actually want
Baby Boomers, as a generation, have different requirements is as clear as the day. Understanding what they need can be the key to success. Get their feedback to get insight into their demands. Ask the audience what they think of any product or service. To get the feedback you have several options. Use customer satisfaction survey Apps, email surveys, in-hand written surveys, or smiley face surveys. It solely depends on the nature of your business and your target audience. One thing is for sure, that once you know the preferences of your customers you can act on them for better results. Reach out to them with these facts in mind and it will eventually help you gather a new and loyal customer base.
Use Relevant Language
If you use the tool of language correctly, you can easily and efficiently convey your message to your target audience. When you design a marketing strategy, you take into account all the influencing factors and demographics. It is quite easy to get distracted by the appeal of the younger audience and using vocabulary that resonates with them. If you want to market the senior members of your target customer base, then avoid using language trends, teenage jargon, popular slang, and deceptive language.
We all realize how the youth gets attracted to a sense of drama and suspense. When it comes to baby boomers, they are not interested in how trendy your language is or how attractive your offer is. All they care about is what and how your service or product is going to help them. So it is always better to play on the safe side rather than losing. Avoid using internet slang, stay true to the message while remaining clever. This way you can appeal to a wider audience.
Make the process as simple as possible
This is as simple as it sounds, and true for every customer not just for older customers. In the case of elderly customers, the simplicity of the process is the key to keep them working with you. They didn?t grow up using the iPhone or the latest technology. So asking them to perform certain tasks on a website or an App may not be that fruitful. Therefore it is beneficial if you keep the process as simple as possible. Don?t use buttons or a format that needs deciphering. If your sales process is complicated and involves several steps that are hard to carry out or can be downright confusing, then you are destined to lose a large portion of your customer base. It?s true not for just elderly customers but for every other demographic as well. The key is to go stay true to the end-goal. Go with the conventional way, don?t complicate matters in the name of innovation. As we know, an easy way is the best way. So opt for the best way for your customers.
Personalized User Experience (UX)
We all prefer using or buying something that feels familiar or trustworthy. Seeing a familiar face in the crowd gives us a soothing feeling and comfort. Similar goes for shopping, especially with older customers. They tend to make emotional decisions rather than rational. So it is always better to hit where it hurts, speaking metaphorically.
When the baby boomers were growing up they never had to deal with self-service or placing an order to a bot. What they prefer is a personalized service. They need a real human being to interact with them when doing business. It creates a better user experience and a sense of trust and familiarity. This will make it easier and reliable to continue doing business. Baby boomers and older customers, in general, prefer to buy when they can try or touch a product before buying. Using advanced technology like augmented reality (AR) and 3D view of products can help to reduce this gap to some extent. It?s also notable that older customers do not prefer waiting for information. They want upfront information without any friction when finding it.
So are you ready to invest in Baby Boomers?
If you want to be in the league of successful businesses then simply don?t ignore the baby boomers. Engaging and using these customers can make a huge difference. This could be the one thing that separates you from your competitors. So strive for the top and get all the customers you can in the process. No matter what age or demographic they belong to. Treat each customer on their own merits and you will be destined to achieve success.
Author Bio:
Website: Smiley.pk
Description: Abdullah Sadiq is a Digital Marketer enthusiast at Smiley.pk having years of experience in the field of Internet Marketing. He is a Social Media geek, a complete foodie, and enjoys trying varied cuisine. A perfect day for him consists of reading his favorite novels with a hot cup of coffee.
