How to Target Baby Boomers with Your Social Media Management Plan

Businesses who aim their social media marketing at Gen Y could be making a serious mistake. According to the latest statistics, the Baby Boomers have nearly caught up with Gen Y in their use of social media tools like Twitter and Facebook. In fact, as of 2009, nearly two-thirds of all Baby Boomers were hooking up and linking in with social media sites like Youtube, Facebook, Classmates.com and LinkedIn. If you’re aiming your social media strategy at the younger generation, you’re shutting out one of the most profitable markets that’s ever existed. If your social media management company isn’t developing a social media marketing strategy that includes those aged 43 to 63, it’s time for you to do some social networking of your own – preferably to find a social media consultant company that understands how to reach all of your customers. Until then, these tips can help you expand your marketing strategy to scoop up the older members of your market who are being ignored by many other businesses. Make it easy for them. Boomers aren’t technical Luddites – in fact, they may be among the most adaptable of all the generations in history. Just think of all the changes they’ve already made. That said, they really don’t want to jump through hoops to participate in your social media promotion. Bring them in with polls, or with contests such as Dunkin Donuts’ 2009 Design a Donut contest which invited customers to point-and-click their way through creating the company’s newest donut. Hook it into their life experiences. In other words, focus on what Boomers are already doing with their lives instead of going for the hip and cool factor. What are your ideal customers interested in doing? Do they travel? Enjoy photography? Love classic music? Design a social media campaign that focuses on those things to draw them in. Don’t forget the women. According to Facebook, women ages 50 to 60 are among the heaviest users of social networks. If you don’t have a Facebook presence, you could be missing out on hundreds of thousands of chances to put your product in front of the people who actually control the purse strings in the family.