Marketing to Baby Boomers - What to Consider
Today, we are going to be starting the first of a three-part segment. In today's society, there are three main groups of the population that make up the majority of purchasers - The Baby Boomers, Generation X and the Millennials. In this newsletter, we will be diving into the Baby Boomer demographic.
Born between 1946 and 1964 the baby boomers have been one of the most powerful forces in shaping today's marketing environment. They are the wealthiest generation in U.S. history and are still far from slowing down. When interacting with people in the baby boomer generation it's best to follow these guidelines:
- Show you care and understand them – be relatable, honest, upfront and factual about your
products or services.
- Skip the hard sell -- explain what you are offering, the value of the product or service and
make sure to not be pushy or patronizing. Baby boomers like to do their research on products to make sure they are making informed decisions and there is a good chance they know at least a little bit about what they are thinking of purchasing.
- Focus on benefits, not just features -- focus on how your product or service will solve a
problem or how it will make life better/easier/more enjoyable.
- Make it easy for them to communicate with you -- make sure they know that if they have
any questions they can call/email/Facebook/tweet (yes, tweet if needed. It's wrong to assume that they aren't using as much technology as everyone else) and always respond promptly when they reach out with a question.
It is always important to remember that everyone is different in their purchasing process, even within the same generation. These guidelines are simple tools to help you talk with your patients and give you an idea on how best to approach them.