Over 46 million people in the United States are over the age of 65. That's a huge market to tap into.
But if you decide to leave them out because you assume they don't go online, you're missing out on a huge demographic.
Products for seniors is a great niche for your company, but you need to know how to market the products so that the advertisements get to the right people.
In this article, we'll go over a few ways you can advertise your products to seniors effectively.
Market Online to Their Family Members
While most people over the age of 65 don't live and breathe the Internet the way millennials do, they're not completely shut out from it. Still, advertising on Instagram or Snapchat probably isn't the way to go in order to reach them.
If you want to advertise in a way that's more "hip" and "millennial-friendly," think about advertising to their children and grandchildren.
Target groups of people who would realistically be their children's age. This works well, especially if you're marketing a product that someone would likely buy a senior as a gift.
Don't market the product as something the person seeing the advertisement needs, but something they should buy their parents or grandparents.
Especially around the holidays, this makes a great advertising campaign.
Don't Advertise Products for Seniors Where They're Not
If you're advertising a product or service for seniors, like senior dating, for instance, you need to go where they are online.
As mentioned above, seniors aren't particularly hanging out on Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter. Instead, if they do use social media, they may have a Facebook page they check every once in a while.
You'll need to find a way to market through Facebook, as well as get your ads on sites that they frequently use.
Studying the demographics of websites will help you figure out which ones to invest your ad dollars in to make sure they're getting seen by the right eyeballs.
Advertise the Old Fashioned Way: Print Media, Radio, and Television
Seniors still largely read the newspaper and listen to the radio. They might also still watch the evening news and enjoy receiving magazines.
While many people feel that these are outdated concepts, they are still a powerful source of advertising for the right group of people.
As older individuals aren't as likely to switch to doing everything digitally, look into expanding your marketing campaign to include print media. You should also look at filming a television commercial that might capture older people. This should be strategically placed at a time when you know older people will be watching.
You can also utilize the benefit of local radio stations that have a large older demographic. Often times, faith-based radio stations will have a demographic that veers slightly older.
This makes your product perfect for their airwaves, especially if the product is also religious in nature. With print, radio, and television, you've got a captive older audience.
Target the Appropriate Age Group
When we discuss advertising for seniors, some people believe that anyone over the age of 65 falls into this group. That's not the case.
There's a big difference between marketing to someone who is 65 and marketing to someone who is 90. While they're both older, the 65-year-old is more apt to be active, tech-savvy, and willing to spend money online. A person closer to 90 may not trust the Internet and may not wish to make purchases via their phone or computer.
Additionally, a person at 65 may still be incredibly active and living a full life, enjoying travel and hobbies. A person at 90 may also be that way or they may be living in an assisted living center and need help with daily tasks.
As such, you'll need to target your market a bit further to find the sweet spot in the correct age group. Remember, no demographic is one-size-fits-all.
Drop Cutesy Advertisement
Many entrepreneurs love advertising to millennials because they'll buy shirts with witty slogans or mugs with alpacas on them. Older individuals are less likely to do so and are more apt to spend money on something to do with their lifestyle or hobbies.
Of course, older people do need things like t-shirts and mugs, but they're less likely to fork over their wallet for something that's cute over practical.
This means you'll need to show them that the product or service works and fits into their lives before expecting them to buy it.
Have Superior Customer Service
Although this isn't part of a marketing plan, and you should always have superior customer service, this is extremely important to the senior set.
People over the age of 65 value customer service and have come to expect it in a way millennials and Gen X shoppers don't. They are more likely to be repeat customers or recommend a product or service to a friend if the service was outstanding.
Marketing to Senior Citizens
As the population ages, products for seniors will become an increasingly valuable market. Therefore, it's important that your company gets in now, especially with a sizeable active senior population. Don't leave them out and assume they've all shut out the world, as most of them really have embraced technology.
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