The key to successfully marketing to baby boomers is to portray people their age accurately and with respect. Ads that present stereotyped and negative images of older people are a major turn-off to this group. And ads that present a diverse age group appeal to younger people as well.
It’s worth it to make the effort. Boomers have more money to spend than any other age group. And it’s easy to reach them online. Almost all boomers under 65 and three-quarters of those who are older use the internet, and they use it a lot – an average of six hours per day.
Who, Exactly, Are the Baby Boomers?
Boomers were born from 1946 to 1964. At the time this was written (2022), they were 58 to 76 years old. They’re a huge group. In the U.S., only the millennial generation is larger.
Boomer Buying Power
If you’re not sure whether marketing to baby boomers should be part of your content marketing strategy, consider these stats:
- 70% of all the personal wealth in the U.S. is controlled by people 55 and up.
- Older adults buy:
- 55% of all personal care products
- 56% of new cars and trucks
- 65% of health care
- 68% of home maintenance and repairs
- 76% of prescription drugs
How Many Baby Boomers Use the Internet?
Ninety-six percent of people in the United States aged 50 to 64 use the internet, a percentage that is not much different from what you see in other age groups.
There is a drop off for older boomers and for the next-oldest group, the Silent Generation. For people 65 and older, 75% use the internet. That’s still a significant population for marketers to target.
Like people in other age groups, a lot of boomers started spending more time online after the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Many boomers used telehealth and grocery delivery services for the first time and developed a taste for the convenience. It’s a good bet that many will continue their new online habits even after the pandemic is over.
Most Baby Boomers Are Online at Least Six Hours a Day
Google conducted research on the online habits of boomers and seniors who use the internet and found that they are an engaged and enthusiastic group.
- 86% spend at least six hours a day online
- 82% use their smartphone every day
- They own an average of five devices
- 80% have education beyond high school
The Google survey also looked at the reasons why boomers go online.
- 91% said to stay in touch with friends and family
- 87% to organize their finances
- 73% to improve health and wellness
What Social Media Sites Do Baby Boomers Use?
A crucial step in effectively marketing to baby boomers is knowing where to reach them online. There are some differences between boomer and younger demographics.
Facebook remains the favorite social media site for boomers, with 78% of online users age 56 and up using the site. Close behind is YouTube, used by 67% of this group.
The next most popular choice is Pinterest at 40%, followed by Instagram at 32%, LinkedIn at 31%, and Twitter at 26%.
The percentage of boomers using Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn is very close to that of all online users aged 15 plus. Boomers, however, are less likely to use Instagram and Twitter than younger users. They are also far less likely to use Reddit and Snapchat – only 8% and 5%, respectively, of boomers use those sites – compared to the 22% of all users older than 15 who do.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
If you want to sell to a particular audience, you can’t insult them. Seems obvious but, unfortunately, examples abound where ads portray older people in derogatory ways. In fact, older adults are seven times more likely than younger adults to be portrayed negatively in advertising.
Simply by portraying older people accurately and respectfully in your marketing material, you can distinguish yourself from other companies that don’t. Even by just thinking to include a diverse age group in your ads, you can come out ahead.
How important is the problem to boomer consumers? Very. AARP surveyed consumers over the age of 50 and found:
- 80% felt that images of people their age in marketing materials were based on stereotypes.
- 70% said they were more likely to buy from brands and 63% were more likely to recommend brands that featured people their own age in ads.
- 62% would consider switching to brands that they felt represented people their age.
Even if you are not specifically marketing to boomers, you can still benefit by including images showing people in a wider range of ages. The survey found that 81% of people 18 and up felt more favorably about brands that showed a mix of ages in their ads, and 71% were more likely to buy from those brands.
Which Baby Boomers Do You Want to Reach?
Depending on what you are selling and what your marketing goals are, you might want to reach out broadly to all baby boomers or focus in on certain subgroups.
There’s a wide range of life circumstances among boomers. Because the boomer group includes people from their mid 50s through mid 70s, some are working and others retired. Some are fit and active and others facing serious health challenges. Some are wealthy and others struggling to get by.
You can use buyer personas to target your marketing to specific segments of the boomer group. Personas are fictional characters you create to represent your ideal buyers. They help you stay on track with your marketing goals and are easy to share, either with other people within your company or with your freelance writers.
When you create boomer buying personas, consider:
- Who do they live with? A partner? Children? Neither? Both?
- What is their age, education level, and any other relevant demographic info?
- What is (or was, if they are retired) their job, profession, or business?
- What do they most enjoy doing?
- What challenges do they face – health, finances, or other?
Also think about how you want to segment your target audience. For example, if you are doing marketing for a cruise company, you could have one boomer persona who has never been on a cruise and another who has been on a dozen.
By marketing to baby boomers online, you can reach a market that is relatively untapped, considering its size and spending power. Your attention will be rewarded. All you have to do – in the words of Aretha (herself a member of the Silent Generation, but a beloved boomer icon) – is give a little respect.
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