For companies in the healthcare industry, the over 65 demographic is an incredibly important part of your customer base. It’s a demographic that often comes to rely on products and services. It’s also one that is rapidly growing. According to the Transamerica Centre for Retirement Studies, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 each day for the next 16 years. The sheer volume of potential customers alone makes it so important to have a strong strategy to connect with this group.
What’s more – this segment makes up 70% of the United States’ disposable income.
We also know that this group is becoming more tech savvy. Today’s seniors have a larger social media presence and a stronger grasp of technology than previous generations.
So today we are asking: in an increasingly digital market, are you doing enough to reach seniors online?
Here are some of our best tips:
1. Use Social Media
According to the Pew Research Centre, roughly one third of older adults are on social media. Of those seniors online, a study by Google found that nearly 60% reported daily social media usage. With these rates continuing to increase, there is no better time to bring your Over 65 marketing strategy to social media.
Our best advice is also the simplest: reach your audience where they are already active. In the case of the Over 65 segment, this is on Facebook. 36% of seniors reported daily usage of Facebook, compared to Twitter (6%) and Instagram (5%).
When starting an online strategy for seniors – Facebook is the place to be.
2. Be Senior-Specific
What we mean by “senior-specific” is to cater your online marketing to the unique needs of this demographic. The Over 65 market is full of sophisticated customers who have made countless purchase decisions. They will not be impacted by recycled marketing messages designed for the typical 18-45 consumer.
On the design side, this means larger font, simpler layouts, and easy to navigate landing pages. It is also best to opt for age-appropriate photos versus complex graphics. Consider choosing the happy family photo over the design-heavy infographic.
On the content side, we’re going to borrow a tip from the brilliant folks over at Entrepreneur. They suggest to trade in snappy copywriting for clear, detailed content. These customers, more than any other demographic, want information. Use your content to provide high quality information and leave no question unanswered. Also, don’t hesitate to use great detail when explaining your services.
Taking these design and content changes into consideration is crucial when putting together an online campaign for an Over 65 audience.
3. Be Patient
Finally, the most important thing to understand is that Over 65 consumers differ in the way they make purchase decisions. Unlike impulse-driven millenials, these customers require time. They like to pore over information, weigh options, and are generally more cautious when making purchases.
This is why connecting with customers online (Step 1) and producing senior-specific content (Step 2) are so important. They allow you to positively interact with customers without trying to directly sell them something. Short conversions do not typically work with this demographic, and relationship building is key.
While it may seem like more effort than its worth to bring these customers on board, think again. The Over 65 demographic is incredibly brand loyal. If you provide high quality service, it is very likely that you will have new lifetime customers in your midst. Even better – they’ll recommend their friends and family.
These are a just a few ways to get a great start on reaching the Over 65 demographic online. Whatever form your marketing strategy takes, remember to use social media, be senior-specific, and be patient!