Tips to Engage Baby Boomers and Seniors Through Social Media

Last Friday, Care2 held an information packed webinar Engaging Baby Boomers and Seniors through Social Media with panelists Gina Pagliaro, Immersion Active, Jen Smith from AARP, and Molly Connors from Care2.

Connors kicked off the webinar highlighting useful Boomer statistics.

• They control over 80% of personal financial assets.
• 50% of all consumer spending is from Boomers.
• They have a desire to pass wealth to charity vs.their children.
• 84% of internet users 50 and over use social networking sites.

Smith, also added that Boomers not only drive the economy with their purchasing power, recent studies show that Baby Boomers now boast the highest growth rate of entrepreneurship in America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Boomer and older generations now represent a $2.6 trillion annual market!

Importance of Meaningful Online Engagement Experience

Pagliaro discussed how critical it is for nonprofits organizations to provide Boomers and Seniors (and frankly any demographic) with meaningful online engagement experiences. “For Boomers, these online exchanges can be as important to the conversation as a neighborly exchange over the fence.” In addition, organizations need to focus on providing these audiences with an experience that inspires them to share information with others. This is important because advice from family and friends is the most common way Boomers research a new product. They also believe that word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends is the most trustworthy source of information.

Later in the webinar Smith outlined some of the key strategies AARP uses to connect with and engage Boomers and Seniors through social media.

• AARP doesn't just broadcast to their members, they listen and engage with them daily.
• Staff, volunteers, and 3^rd party advocates all act as brand ambassadors and spokespersons.
• They deliver local, personalized content to members on whatever device they choose to use.
• They let members know about the latest technology and why it matters to them AND make them aware of scams, privacy issues, etc.
• Members don’t seek deals and discounts, they are delivered to them directly.
• Members don’t need to carry hard copy of their AARP card. It’s an app on their phone.

Click here to listen and view the webinar. You can also check out the slides below.