Demographic series: How to engage the 'Me Generation'.

Over the past few weeks, we've looked at how brands can engage the Gen Zs, Millennials and Gen Xs, chipping in with tips on how best to develop relationships with each group specifically.

For our penultimate post in the series, we're looking at the needs of perhaps the most affluent demographic, the Baby Boomers. Born between 1946 and 1964, they account for a sixth of the UK population, have the most disposable income of any demographic, and have some of the highest expectations for what they get for their cash. 

In fact, this sense of entitlement has given baby boomers the title of the 'me generation'. Brands simply can't afford to get their engagement strategies wrong with Baby Boomers. 

Read on for our top tips on developing a good relationship with this generation.

1. Get rid of your preconceptions.

One common mistake brands make when it comes to Baby Boomers is letting their preconceptions cloud their judgement. Here's what we mean: they view – and too often treat – the demographic as old when the group doesn't perceive itself as old. Not only does this alienate the demographic, but it also causes a series of knock-on assumptions about Baby Boomers that are just wrong.

The biggest offender amongst these assumptions is that Baby Boomers aren't comfortable users of the internet and tech. In fact, Baby Boomers spend an average of 27 hours online per week, with 65% owning a desktop PC, 49% owning a laptop and a further 57% using a tablet and 40% owning a smartphone – this looks like a group who knows their tech to us. 

But while mobile ownership is rising throughout the demographic, it's clear that Baby Boomers prefer desktop to mobile devices. While 25% of Baby Boomers use smartphones to make a purchase, this increases to 31% for desktop devices. So, if you're trying to engage this demographic, you can't neglect desktop as one of your main marketing channels. All your online services should be easy to use on desktop devices to really connect and engage with Baby Boomers.

2. Be in it for the long run. 

Unlike some demographics that might be more likely to splash their cash on spontaneous or impulsive buys, Baby Boomers are far more likely to make considered purchases, stopping at nothing to find the best deal possible. They like to thoroughly research any product or service they want to buy before choosing to purchase. 

And another thing is they're also willing to pull that info from multiple sources, with 96% of Baby Boomers using search engines to help them make a purchasing decision. The bad part? Your competitors will have plenty of opportunities to influence their decision.

We've already touched on Baby Boomers sometimes being called the 'Me Generation'; they're known for their highly sceptical outlook and quick-to-point-the-finger attitude, often expecting everything to be right the first time around with no room for mistakes. So, when you're trying to foster a connection with Baby Boomers, you've got to be clear and straightforward to give them all the necessary info about your product or service. For example, supply them with detailed yet easily digestible user manuals and links to independent reviews so they can easily find the detail they're after.

What can you do? Put a strategy in place that maintains engagement throughout the lengthy decision-making process. Aiming gimmicks to prompt quick purchases are likely to be ineffectual with Baby Boomers. Instead, you could try providing them with things to read instead of the usual visual approach of today; with a lengthier attention span than other generations, longer-form content that's informative and fosters trust in your brand is likely to hit the Baby Boomers' sweet spot.

3. Incentivise sharing.

Despite not being digital or social media natives, Baby Boomers are actually the most likely to share things online. The research suggests that Baby Boomers are 19% more likely to share content than other demographics, as they like to share helpful and interesting online finds with family and friends.

How can you make the most of this? Giving them content that isn't just useful to them but also useful to their relatives is likely to help build a stronger bond with customers in this demographic. You can boost this by adding clearly marked, easy-to-use, social sharing buttons on both products and content. This is particularly important on Facebook, as an estimated 70% of Baby Boomers are active users.

As Baby Boomers are already inclined to share things online, it's worth rewarding this behaviour within your marketing and customer retention strategy. Giving them points or rewards for doing this bolsters the partnership they feel with your brand and helps to increase your brand awareness.

Establishing meaningful bonds with Baby Boomers 

With many brands making wrong or misinformed assumptions about Baby Boomers, aligning your strategy to focus on this generation is likely to help give you a leg up over your competitors.

Understanding their purchasing habits will help you create and provide content that aligns with their decision-making process. This will strengthen your relationship with them and set your brand apart from the rest.

If you're after more info or advice on targetting Baby Boomers, or if you're interested in developing a loyalty and customer experience offering in line with the demands of your customers, get in touch today.