Understanding Your Senior Citizen Audience in 2024

When your target audience is older adults, you might be wondering what strategies are best for connecting and engaging with them. Marketing to seniors is definitely different than trying to sell to younger generations. Crafting your approach starts with learning more about what works and doesn’t work with this age group.

The baby boomer demographic group — people born between 1946 and 1964 — is second in size only to millennials. They account for 20.58% of the population in this country. It’s estimated that 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. By 2030, everyone in this demographic will be 65 or older.

So, what can you do to more effectively reach seniors? We have some suggestions.

What to Know to Reach and Connect With an Older Audience

• Avoid slang words and cultural references
  While older adults may be somewhat familiar with the latest slang and cultural references, especially if they have grandkids, it’s best to avoid using them. You don’t want to risk turning them off if they don’t grasp the references.
  
  Instead, craft clearly written content that is free from jargon they may not understand. When in doubt, before you send any marketing materials out, have someone in your target audience’s age group read the copy.

• Don’t assume seniors aren’t tech savvy
  It’s an outdated notion that older people aren’t comfortable with technology. While some may struggle, vast numbers of seniors have embraced all forms of tech products. Apple Watches, for example, are popular with older adults. They use them for everything from monitoring their daily steps and activity to text messaging and tracking health conditions.
  
  Older adults are also connecting with friends and family via email and social media, as well as using video chat services to keep in touch. Facebook, FaceTime, and even YouTube are popular platforms. Keep those in mind as you plan your marketing efforts.

• Use seniors in your imagery
  When creating marketing materials and communications targeting older adults, be sure that the images you choose to use reflect the seniors you are marketing to. People are more likely to focus on images of people that they can relate to or who look like them so, avoid using teens or young adults in your material’s accompanying images. Instead, use images with people who are in your target audience’s age group.
  
  You can save time by using a digital art and content library resource like WeCreate. Inside WeCreate, you’ll find images for every occasion and generation to use in your communications. From professionally designed images featuring seniors for holidays, events, and more, to articles and puzzles that can be used to make your communications look attractive to your senior audience.

• Have a simple, clearly articulated call to action
  Another important element of each marketing piece, whether it is a blog article or an e-newsletter, is the call to action at the end. Have one clear request for what you would like your audience to do next. Make sure it aligns with how much trust you’ve built.
  
  For example, someone who has already shared their email address with you might be willing to call and volunteer to help with a special event. By ending an article in your email message with the phone number for your event organizer, you might help engage seniors who have time for and interest in volunteering.

• Be respectful and not patronizing
  No matter how well-intentioned it might be, the language you use can seem patronizing. Don’t talk down to seniors or make assumptions about their situation. Being older doesn’t equate to being in poor health or having deficits such as hearing loss. Age is just a number.
  
  You’ll also want to avoid using terms seniors really dislike. Elderly and the elderly are two examples of commonly used words and phrases that annoy older adults. Even spry, grandmotherly, or feisty may be negatively interpreted.

• Don’t rush your audience or take a fear-based approach
  One final tip is not to rush older adults or use fear-based marketing strategies. That is a big turnoff for many. They tend to equate such tactics with the many scams and types of fraud that often target seniors.
  
  Use honest and transparent language in your marketing collaterals. While it might take longer to gain your audience’s trust, it’s worth the investment of time. And it’s likely the only option you have for connecting and engaging with this demographic.

Learn More About Digital Marketing to Seniors

If you’d like to learn more about attracting seniors and building relationships with them online, visit the “Senior Centers” section of our blog!