If you search the internet for tips on marketing to seniors these days, you’re probably going to get some bad advice. The current information falls into 3 basic categories:
- Generic – You mean older consumers appreciate transparency just like everyone else? You don’t say.
- Inaccurate – 9 out of 10 seniors own and use smartphones, but many websites still behave as though you can only reach an older audience through print media.
- Downright Insulting – Much of the advice about marketing to seniors seems to imply that details need to be simplified for them and that nostalgia is the only real way to reach them.
As this article from the Harvard Business Review details, most marketing and advertising is doing a massive disservice to the older population. If you really want to make an impact when marketing to seniors, listen to what they say about themselves and follow the numbers.
Your Messaging to Older Audiences Is Outdated
Don’t let stereotypes or condescending assumptions alienate the people you’re trying to reach.