There are more seniors online than you may think and not tailor your marketing efforts toward the older demographic may result in a loss of potential clients. According to statistics, 59% of adults age 65 or older are now internet users, 47% have high-speed broadband, and 77% have a cell phone. Research also states that the fastest growing social-media demographic is the 74-and-up age group, Surprised? The social-media sites that host the largest population of older adults include Facebook and Twitter with approximately 39 million users age 65 and older, and that number is expected to increase to over 50 million by the year 2020.
Here are a few things every business should be doing when marketing to seniors online:
Here are a few things every business should be doing when marketing to seniors online:
- Keep things simple — You don’t want to crowd your information with a lot of hoops to jump through.
- Create trust — according to a recent survey, the thing seniors are most apprehensive about when online is being scammed. Make sure they know you are real. Leave your name and phone number under all of your informational posts so they can easily reach you.
- Use a large font on your blog and in email — You don’t want your posts to be overlooked simply because someone had trouble reading them. Make sure your font is 16px or larger.
- Cater towards family — Write family-oriented posts to let them know that you are a family person yourself, and you have their best interests at heart. This will also appeal to family members who are overseeing elderly loved ones’ finances.
- Respond quickly — Make sure they know you received their comment or question by responding in a timely manner.
While the online elderly population is undoubtedly growing, there are still 41% that have not yet begun using the Internet and may be eager to learn. With that being said, maybe offering some educational outlets for your potential and current clients would be beneficial to your business. Having informational pamphlets readily available on your desk or even hosting a social-media educational class could open new doors of opportunity for you and your company.
Click the link to learn about The Demographics of Social-Media