10 marketing tips to help you connect with seniors

DATE:January 18, 2017

We’ve enjoyed writing about topics such as how to capture millennials’ attention through print, and how to market best to baby boomers. However, for this post we are focusing on a consumer demographic that can be often overlooked: seniors. The senior generation holds the most disposable income out of any generation and they’re spending it now more than they did 20 years ago. This means seniors are not only a growing market since they’re living longer, but are potentially highly profitable because they have the cash to spend. Here are a few new tactics to try out when marketing to this highly motivated consumer demographic:

1. Explain how your product or service will meet their need. Don’t simply tell seniors that they need it, rather show them how it will enhance their life, improve their independence or make a task easier for them.

2. Make your advertising clear and easy to read. Growing older means that deteriorating eyesight can make small details difficult to see. Especially in print advertising, it’s important to use a bright color to draw the eye in, to keep balance with enough white space, and to use clear font choices and large words and images to allow seniors to easily read.

3. Emphasize independence. For many, old age means relying on family or care givers for many things. If your product or service will allow seniors to become more self-reliant, make a point to let them know how.

4. Appeal to the trendsetters. Just because they are older doesn’t mean seniors don’t appreciate being up to date on the trends. Keep them feeling modern with advanced technology options or modified styles that are also currently trending with younger generations.

5. Continue using print, but don’t avoid web to capture senior audiences. As older generations become more tech-savvy, a growing population turns to online shopping. Seniors also value their ability to learn new skills and make decisions for themselves.

6. Use the TV. Seniors make up one of the highest demographics of television watchers. Consider TV as an option when deciding how to best market to this age group.

7. One size does not fit all. Though it can be tempting to group this generation together when marketing, your strategy should be very different depending upon if your audience is seniors in their 50’s and 60’s or seniors over the age of 80.

8. Good service is key. Many in this generation come from a time when service was part of the customer experience- someone pumping their gas at the station, someone to bag their groceries and bring them to the car from the store and so on. Offer free at-home set up or a lengthy try out period. Make sure online or over-the-phone customer service is also available and excellent.

9. Work to establish trust. Brand loyalty is a real thing and tends to grow stronger as customers grow older. Show seniors that you’re worthy of their trust, whether showing them comes in the form of customer testimonials, money back offers or excellent customer service.

10. Good news travels quickly. Since many in this generation live in care centers or town home communities, they interact with their neighbors on a frequent basis. Let them do some of the marketing for you by offering “Senior Sale” days or bring-a-friend deals.

Check out our blog for more helpful articles on all things marketing, advertising, print and design.

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