Generation Senior 4.0: How to engage them

Do you realize the potential from Senior 4.0? Marketing trends force us to divide potential audiences into segments. Among the best known are Millennials, Centennials, Generation Z, Baby Boomers or Generation Alpha. But what about Senior 4.0? Who belongs in this category?

Baby Boomers are moving slowly towards retirement, approximately 10,000 of them have already turned 65 since 2011. Web designers, content creators and marketing managers face a changing population in terms of web users.

Baby boomers are not digital natives. However, most of them learned the language and spent at least part of their days browsing online. Aging users have different design needs and different content interests. For this reason, the creative content that appeals to this demographic must become a priority.

Senior 4.0 are the users who consume more content

As you can see in the graph, Baby Boomers are the demographic group that currently consumes the most online content. It is higher than the two younger generations.

A research by BuzzStream and Fractl surveyed more than 1,200 people to better understand the differences in online content consumption habits between Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers. As you have seen, about 25% of them consume more than 20 hours of online content per week.

This is the Senior 4.0 generation, which refers to an audience over 65 years old. To create attractive and user-friendly material for this demographic group, it is important to acknowledge it as an active segment of the web.

Who belongs to Senior 4.0 generation and their importance

Every campaign created for this segment is important. Although the segment that makes up the Senior 4.0 generation can be small, it comprises four main groups:

• Early retirees (50-65). The term Senior begins after 55 years old, but many people who turn 50 are also thinking about their retirement and they are also applicable. Apart from that, younger spouses (54) married to retirees are also ready to make financial changes and take pre-retirement decisions.
• Grandparents and relatives (+50). Grandparents and older family members deserve separate segmentation, as they often invest a large amount of money in family members and respond well to specific ads.
• Late retirees (65-75). Similar to early retirees, this segment includes age groups above the standard retirement age that is still working.
• Active retirees (+65). This group of adults no longer earns active income. Their money comes from savings, assets, social security, pensions, etc. They live with a “fixed income.”

1.- Understanding their personality

Considering this information, would you know how to define the personality of the Senior 4.0 generation? The Senior 4.0 generation accumulates experience.

It is a very wealthy group for brands. And yet, the Senior 4.0 generation still does not receive the attention it deserves from companies. In fact, it is important to understand their concerns, preferences and needs.

The new Senior 4.0 generation thinks that the best moment of life is at 50 years old. In fact, it faces aging with a more positive attitude. Their general attitude is more casual and little distressed by age. You just have to see the Cashconvertes video and look at its insight. “Time wrinkles your skin but not your desire to live to the max“.

2.- Where do they focus their consumption?

As ABC data points out, it is expected that the consumption of the Senior 4.0 generation will focus in two directions:

1. In travel and leisure. In restaurants, cinema, theater, holidays, etc.
2. In health care and well-being. The Senior 4.0 generation will invest much of their money in beauty, care, sports, etc.

However, over the years, the next generation of Senior 4.0 will have a different way of consuming these services. Seniors are increasingly looking for more trips and specific experiences. They seek to generate their own memories for themselves, learn and enjoy.

Marketing techniques to engage the Senior 4.0 generation

Another important element that is worth highlighting from the Senior 4.0 generation is that they are not afraid of ICTs. Evidently, the senior generation of the future will be totally immersed in new technologies. But the current Senior generation has been gradually soaking up in this digital world.

You have already noted it at the beginning, they spend more time browsing than the younger generations. And although they look for all kinds of information, they still don’t decide to buy. They have a clearer purchase decision, more rational, intelligent and more cautious when it comes to spending.

So, how can you attract them? What practices should a marketing strategy have to attract this segment? How should the information be displayed?

A mature audience is more likely to be influenced by strong and direct messages. Keeping the text clear and using concise and relevant language will help you the most. In addition to this, there are many important factors in the construction of a marketing campaign aimed to the elderly. Here are some recommendations to engage the Senior 4.0 generation.

1.- UX sencilla

Upon developing your strategy, keep simple and straightforward user experience and think about how you could simplify your proposal. This idea can be applied to each of your channels, both to your landing page and app.

From the register form on a landing page to the purchase process, everything must be simple to use. The people who make up the current Senior 4.0 generation did not grow with technology. This means that you should not seek interaction, but conversions.

2.- Uniqueness and customization

Exclusive offers aimed at each client are ideal to attract the Senior 4.0 generation. The idea is to carry out campaigns that provide potential customers with a sense of belonging, pride and value. In this case, email marketing can be your best ally.

On the other hand, you should not assume that everyone belonging to the Senior 4.0 generation has the same preferences or part of the same demography. Not everyone over age 55 cares about the same issues. Therefore, work in terms of segmentation and customization.

3.- Work on trust

When you request personal details to this segment, make sure they understand why you are requesting this information and why they should provide it to you. Doing so will improve your overall experience. It is also recommended that you continuously tell them how you will use this data and make sure they know that this information is safe with you.

In this regard, you can strive to create optimal registration forms. Little details such as landing pages with testimonials can be items that enhance that trust.

4.- Visual contents are important

The images that you include in your landings, email strategy and even on your product page, is essential when it comes to engaging the Senior 4.0 generation. A good rule of thumb is that most people in this group seem between 5 and 10 years younger.

You should remember this when selecting images to accompany any content. The goal is that customers connect with the person they see in your ads and empathize with them.

5.- The value of good customer support

As in any other marketing strategy focused on another target, maintaining contact with customers after the purchase is essential to retain them. In fact, most consumers want to feel supported by their preferred brand. As a company, you must show that you really care.

Therefore, you must remain receptive and helpful regarding support issues that may arise. Make sure your problem doesn’t divert them again in the future. You can try creating an adequate sequence of post-purchase emails.

Good practices to attract the Senior 4.0 generation

Older people are not helpless people who cannot make their own decisions. They are often strong and healthy adults who appreciate being able to make their own decisions. Do not direct the language of your campaign to a caring audience or to the children of this target. There are numerous ways to address the elderly directly, without diluting their sense of independence:

• Adjust the relevant criteria.  When selling a product, the objective is not to sell the product, but to give value to what the product can do for the customer. The elderly do not want the same thing a teenager wants, but that should not prevent marketing professionals from adjusting their language to address both segments.
• Multi-channel marketing. In 2018, 4 out of 10 adults over 65 had smartphones. This does not mean that mobile advertising should be ignored, only that multichannel marketing can be used to reach older people anywhere and anytime.
• Customize the experiences. Older audiences are accustomed to the quality of customer service before automation and self-service changed the process.
• Retargeting. 

Are you struggling to generate quality leads that give your business a boost? Antevenio can help you to acquire all types of customers, regardless of the generation to which they belong. Do you need to boost lead generation with a winning strategy?