How and Why You Should Target Seniors via Mobile Marketing

Marketing managers take heed. It’s time to make the old new again. If you aren’t already, you should be creating mobile campaigns for seniors.

An often-overlooked age group in years gone by, the over-65 demographic are now driving the online market. Due to a range of factors including the current pandemic, better healthcare, later retirement, and greater life expectancy, seniors are among the fastest-growing group of social media users and make up a significant chunk of the market.

Here’s why you should be targeting seniors in your mobile marketing campaigns and how you can appeal to this increasingly tech-savvy age group.

Why market to seniors?

Seniors make up a great portion of the global population. In the U.S, the over-65 age bracket makes up around 16.5% of the population. This is set to increase to 22% by 2050. 

On top of this, seniors are increasingly embracing technology. In fact,

• 96% of 55-64-year-olds own a mobile device. This is followed by 92% of those in the 65-74 age bracket, and 81% of seniors aged 75+
• 4 in 5 seniors are using social media platforms

For digital marketers, the senior sector proves a lucrative market. They have a large amount of disposable income, they’re open to learning new technologies, and they are now spending more time on the internet.

Yet while senior citizens spend just under 50% of all purchasing dollars in the United States, less than 5% of advertising is focused on them. 

To tap into this largely ignored market, digital marketers should appeal to seniors in their mobile marketing campaigns. By doing so, you’ll be rewarded with a loyal customer base who are likely to act as key influencers for your brand. 

Mobile marketing tips to target seniors

Targeting seniors in your campaigns will be slightly different to targeting a younger demographic. Seniors are more responsive to emotive imagery and are likely to be influenced by campaigns that are straight-to-the-point and feature visuals or simple advertising cues. 

When you are selling a product or a service to the senior age group, great emphasis should be made on what your product or service will do for them. This should be basic marketing knowledge, however, seniors aren’t likely to buy something on a whim.

For the most part, over 65’s shop more frequently, are less price-sensitive and are likely to spend more money on a quality item -- given that they know that the item purchased will be adding value to their lives. 

Another relevant point to add; seniors today are still subject to age stereotypes in advertising and marketing. A common thing you hear in senior shopping experiences is that they feel invisible. 

In order to appeal to the senior market, you need to make them feel seen. 

With those points in mind, here are some tips to curate a senior mobile marketing campaign that will tap into this unseen market and quickly generate leads:

1. Get to the point

Try to get rid of superfluous language in your campaigns or anything that comes across as too ‘market-y’ or vague. If you bombard this demographic with too much information or questions, then they’re likely to exit out. 

Since the over 65 bracket grew up without technology, they’re likely to be more cautious when it comes to in-app purchases and onboarding. 

If you want to appeal to the senior market in your mobile marketing campaign, then get to the point. Spell it out. What are you offering? How will it benefit them? How can they purchase it? 

2. Keep it simple

When creating mobile marketing campaigns for seniors, simplicity is key. This means using text that is easy to read and easy to understand. Get rid of popular marketing jazz that appeals to the younger age group. Words like “fam”, “lit” and “spill the tea” will bring a different meaning to the over 65 bracket. 

Try to be specific about your brand or product and give them something new to learn. Baby boomers are large consumers of content, so try to curate your content to be both to the point yet informative. Approach your campaign as if you’re selling your product to your grandparent. 

3. Appeal to them

A lot of modern marketing campaigns seem to target young people from the outset. Even if the product is age-neutral, you’ll often see images or wording more targeted to the younger demographic. 

One of the best ways you can increase your leads is to represent seniors in your campaigns. Use images of older people, include testimonials from over 60’s and insert vintage jargon that will get them thinking “heh, I haven’t heard that one in a while!”. 

4. Supercharge your customer service

Seniors value customer service. They really value it. Those who are over 60 grew up in the era of door-to-door salesmen and face-to-face customer service interactions. For that reason, they expect - or at least appreciate - the same from digital marketing.

Integrate your senior-friendly mobile marketing campaign with personalized customer service. For example, your app platform or online advertisement can include a link for customers to seek further assistance or information. You should also display a clear contact form so they know how to get in contact with you if they need to. Live Chat is also a great way to allow your senior customers to talk directly with your agents and get the solution or answers they need. 

5. Be trustworthy

Unlike millennials, the baby boomer demographic are not impulse buyers. They will often think carefully before investing in a new product. They’re also a bit more cautious of online shopping, since they can’t physically inspect a product like they would in store. 

To demonstrate that you are trustworthy, you need to make seniors aware that soliciting your services/products comes with no risk. To help facilitate this, include customer feedback on your product page or use strategies such as trust marks and testimonials. Clearly direct them to your brand’s return policy page, FAQs and help & support pages. 

Build trust in your brand and attract more seniors by having a clear value proposition and demonstrating transparency throughout your campaign. Deliver on your promises. Be prompt in your responses. You’ll get a lot of business by doing so. 

Final note

It’s up to you. Seniors want products or services that they know will make their lives easier in some way. It’s up to you as a marketer to make it clear how your product will benefit them. By using these tips as a guideline, you should have the necessary steps to creating a marketing campaign that works.

Remember, the older generation are quickly becoming the biggest users of the internet and spend a great deal of their time online shopping. Why waste your marketing resources targeting other less lucrative markets? In fact, targeting seniors specifically in your mobile marketing campaigns gives you the chance to be competitive. 

If you want to stand out from the competition, then allocate the majority of your digital marketing budget to targeting seniors. By doing so, you’re sending the message that your product is more trusted, reliable and outlasts others in the market. You’re also including an age group that deserves to be seen, heard and rewarded for their social and economic contributions. 

A persistent myth surrounding the ‘baby boomer’ generation is that they’re not tech-savvy enough. Research has proven that this is far from the truth. Seniors are highly likely to engage in online marketing, and they value campaigns that are clearly defined and deliver on their promises. Seniors show an increased response to mobile marketing campaigns that appeal to them.

From visuals that represent them to language that is simple and concise, older people are likely to respond more eagerly to your campaign if you market to them exclusively or at least with them in mind.