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As presented at the Fall 2013 Baltimore Business Journal Social Media Crash Course event.
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/ROLANDPARKPLACE @BRIDGETFORNEY #RPPSOCIAL #BBJCCSM
2
THE STEREOTYPE
Hearing aid
Cane
Glasses
Above-waist pants
3
AN OVERLOOKED DEMOGRAPHIC
“Well my clients
are mostly over 60
so they’re not
very tech savvy.”
“Social media is
for kids. My
clients are older –
they don’t use
that stuff.”
“But Bridget, unless
you're selling
Medicare health
insurance, funeral
plots or Efferdent,
why would anyone
have 65+ in their
target demo?”
ACTUAL Resident of Roland Park Place!
4
REAL LIFE
the 74-plus demographic is the fastest growing
demographic among social networks
11% of Facebook users are seniors
1 in 5 of these users will log on for an hour any given
day
This age group has 47 times the net worth of
households headed by those 35 and older
5
40% use social media to connect
with family or friends.
30% use social media to share
photos.
20% use social media for social
gaming.
10% use social media for contests
and games.
HOW OLDER ADULTS ARE USING SOCIAL
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WHY WE TARGET THE 65+ DEMOGRAPHIC
Growing Size:
there are nearly
100 million
Americans over the
age of 50 and their
numbers are
growing
Income:
They have far more
money to spend
than the 18-24 year-
old demographic
Brand attitudes:
Older adults are
more brand-loyal
(when they find a
brand they like,
they stick to it)
$
7
THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC
47
The
average
age at
death in
the U.S. in
1900
The
average
life span
today
77
The
additional
number of
years a
65-year
old can
anticipate
to live, on
average
The year the baby-
boom generation
began to turn 65
20 2011
8
FACTORING IN BABY BOOMERS
More than
10,000 baby
boomers
turn 65
years old
every day.
9
FACTORING IN BABY BOOMERS
—the—
BOOMER : 1946-1964
80 MILLION STRONG
The average
boomer spends
about 85 minutes a
day browsing the
Internet and using
social media.
U.S. Facebook
users age 55+ grew
from roughly 1
million in 2009 to 10
million in 2010.
10
STRATEGIZING
That which is
valuable is
something that is
desirable.
ACTUAL Resident of Roland Park
Place!
Relevant
Measurable
part of a collaborative
digital strategy?
11
GETTING STARTED
Is your social
marketing
to an older
audience:
12
THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTENT
LANGUAGE
SOFT-SELL
Don’t use ageist terms like
“old,” “elderly,” or “senior
citizens”
Concentrate on providing
senior-centric content that
provides them with the
information and solutions
they need, not just the
offer you’re trying to
push.
13
UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE
Older adults are less comfortable with social
media than their younger counterparts. You
must build trust.
Older adults (“seniors”) are 74% slower at
navigating websites than 25-60 year olds
They still read and they prefer content with a
personal connection.
14
UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE, cont.
Older adults are still well-connected offline.
They still meet in-person and talk about online
experiences.
They’re young at heart! Market to how they
feel, not the age they are.
Boomers are aging out of the popular 18-49
cohort. The social senior generation will soon
cover early 60s, all the way to 90s.
15
STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES IN REACHING OLDER ADULTS ONLINE
1 BUILD ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS Be present across many digital platforms
for a collaborative approach. Online
video, search, and social networks build
upon each other.
2 DEVELOP ORIGINAL AND COMPELLING VIDEO CONTENT
54% of the boomer and senior segment
(more than half) watch online video vs.
65% of the general population. 15% of
Boomers/Seniors spend more time watching online videos than TV.
3 TARGET TABLET USERS Two in five of the senior segment own a
smartphone or tablet and are more likely to purchase one in the next 12 months.
4 MARKETING TO OLDER ADULTS THROUGH CAUSES THEY CARE ABOUT
This audience is interested in a variety of
US societal causes and government-
related issues, in addition to senior
advocacy issues. Are there any
commonalities?
16
STRATEGIZING: VIDEO
17
STRATEGIZING: MOBILE AND TABLET
Portion of the Senior/Boomer segment
using multiple screens at the same time (vs. sequentially)
18
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
“What language should we use in talking about people age
65 and older? Should we call them “seniors”? “The
elderly”? “Older adults”? Something else?
“For heavens’ sake, don’t call them anything…Let’s talk
about their interests and values!!”
