Did you know that seniors are the fastest-growing demographic in our society? In fact, by 2030, one out of every five Americans will be a senior citizen! If you’re not marketing to seniors now, it’s likely that your competition is already doing so. And with all these new customers coming your way, what better time than now to start?
In the past, we have discussed how to market to younger audiences and included many helpful tips to engage them. In this blog post, we are going to discuss how you can market more effectively to seniors. I’ll also share some tips for successful online marketing strategies targeted specifically at older generations. Here are some of the best how to market to seniors strategies for businesses of all industries and sizes!
How to market to seniors tips
In case it is not already obvious, seniors are very different than any other group you could possibly market towards. It goes without saying that seniors are the oldest and most experienced people in our society. They have seen a lot of change in their lives and have seen many things that most of us have not, especially before the age of the internet. While looking to market towards them, it is important to keep that in mind.
Build trust with them
It might sound simple, but trust is the most important thing to build with any customer. But how do you make a first-time senior buyer believe in you when they have been burned by far too many businesses before? One way would be by being honest with them about why you need their information! If you communicate with them about why you need their personal information and how it will help, they are much more likely to trust your business. Testimonials and money-back guarantees are another way to build trust in your senior audience.
Make your desired outcome easy for them
The best way to market to seniors is by making your desired outcome as simple for them as possible. For example, if you’re selling insurance policies, make sure you provide a clear and understandable explanation of how the policy works. If it still sounds too complicated or expensive, find out what other options they have in their area so that they can make an informed decision.
If you’re trying to sell a product and the customer doesn’t understand how it works, provide them with some kind of demonstration or visual aid that explains what they’re buying. Also, be sure to explain any guarantees that your company provides as welll. By making your desired outcome as easy as possible, you are more likely to gain happy senior customers that will recommend you to other seniors.
Use “older” marketing methods
One of our best how to market to seniors tips is to utilize marketing techniques that may seem “older” or less popular these days. Some examples of these marketing techniques can include sending catalogs of your products via mail to your customers, radio/TV ads, putting advertisements in the newspaper, or specifically targeted billboards. These traditional marketing methods see a lot of success because only 61% of adults over the age of 65 own smartphones, making your online marketing efforts less effective.
Personalization is key
Out of all of our how to market to seniors tips, we think that including personalized marketing efforts that are adapted to the different needs and circumstances that people over 65 might have is incredibly important. For example, customize your email messages with larger fonts or more images if your recipients are visually impaired. Personalization is key when you’re marketing anything. Elderly people are not any different and you’ll be more successful in reaching them if your message is tailored to fit their specific needs.
Use language they understand
Using language that senior citizens understand is important for any marketing effort. The best way to do this is by making your content readable and easy to understand. We recommend using words and phrases they would be likely to know, like “senior citizen” instead of “elderly person”.
We also advise you to avoid slang terms or anything too complicated when communicating with them. This is because many elderly people may not have the same level of understanding as a younger person. This is true not only for what they’re reading but also any conversations you have with them in-person or over the phone. They will appreciate your care and attention if you use terms that are simple to understand.