There’s a perception that Baby Boomers avoid going online and are not active in the social media space. This is simply not true. The fact is a recent study by Google revealed Boomers and seniors spend more time online than watching TV. Moreover, of those Boomers going online, 82% have at least one social media account. It’s true that they’re not big users of Snapchat, Instagram or some of the other platforms in vogue with Millennials and Gen Z. They prefer Facebook. The same Google study showed that there are more Facebook users 65 and above than users in the 13 – 17 range.
So what exactly do all these Boomers do when they go online? They watch videos, of course. And, while many prefer to watch on YouTube, 43% of the segment prefers to watch on Facebook. That’s because they find it easier and the content more entertaining. A Pew research study also found that this segment is much more likely to share what they find compared to other generations – 19% more likely. Hold on to that. It’s an important insight that is extremely useful to marketers looking to engage Boomers online.
Despite recent privacy issues and intensified government scrutiny, social media remains a powerful way to interact with customers and build stronger relationships. So if your customers are in the Boomer category, you’re going to want to work with an agency that has mastered the nuances of marketing on Facebook. It should be your platform of choice for this audience, and the strategies used there should become integral to your marketing plan in order to build a following, engage with them, and promote content.
Let’s take a look at six basic steps you can take to get the most out of your Facebook marketing efforts.
1. Create a Page for your Business
The first step is to build a Facebook page for your business. This is different from a profile. A strong page is inviting and descriptive, including the About page, a section for upcoming Events, a place where customers can Review products, learn about your Services, Shop for products and more.
2. Establish Goals
Is your goal as simple as increasing overall sales or are you looking to zoom in on high net worth Boomers? Do you want an inexpensive way to add value or is the objective to build a community of dedicated patrons? Each goal could require a slightly different strategy so it’s important that you know what you want to accomplish before you work through how you’ll do it.
3. Develop Content
Here’s where it starts to get real. Based on the goals you established, you may want to skew toward more posts, images and brief descriptions, videos with links, Facebook Stories or some combination of all of these. Also, think about how often you want to post. Remember, Boomers are voracious consumers of content. So don’t be afraid to heavy up. Just be aware of the time and resources required to develop content that reflects well on your organization.
4. Be Engaged
Make sure to link to your Facebook page from your website, emails, and other communications. At its heart, social media is an online community. So make an effort to join in on the conversation. Comment on posts, ask customers how they feel about content, in short, try build a virtual gathering space.
5. Get Everyone Involved
Invite employees to share your content. A good way to encourage employee participation is to post things worth getting excited about. Maybe you’re raising money for a food pantry or you won an industry award. Turn this good news into social posts and encourage employees to share on their own feeds.
6. Measure the Effect
Facebook performance is highly measurable and includes tools to measure success, track audience growth, identify your top performing posts, view impressions by day of the week and more. All of these insights can help you gauge whether you’ve achieved the goals you established and refine your strategy going forward.
Follow these steps and you’ll have the start of a viable social media strategy tailored to Baby Boomers. Just remember: the social space is evolving, so be sure to review your goals and strategies to adapt to whatever changes come along. Because social media, and Facebook in particular, will remain a powerful channel for building relationships – and sales – with customers.
For help with more advanced Facebook marketing or with managing large pages and campaigns, please contact us to see how we can help.
Comments
this is great, will try them out
Thanks for the info. I get likes on my posts but only a few. Not many comments. I think adding videos to the mix might help capture their interests.