Have you been avoiding social media as a tool to market your company because you cater to an older demographic? If so, it is time to rethink this approach. Individuals 65 and older make up the fastest growing age cohort on social media, with 43% of Americans in this group using at least one social platform, an extremely impressive statistic compared to the 26% on social sites in 2010 and just 1% in 2008.

Why Seniors Are Using Social Media

Seniors are using social media to stay connected with their friends and family, especially those who live far away. They can log on and see pictures from their grandkids’ prom or updates about their nieces and nephews. Social media is giving them more points of contact with them than they ever had before. But seniors are also using social media for a number of other reasons. These platforms allow them to not only stay in touch with old friends, but to make connections with new ones as well. In addition, with many individuals over the age of 65 postponing retirement or seeking part time employment or consulting positions, social media is a great tool to target and communicate with potential clients and employers. Finally, seniors are eager to engage with contests and games on social media as well.

Connecting With Seniors on Social Media

Though seniors may use social media for similar reasons as Millennials, Boomers and other generations, connecting to them as a brand is very different. Forbes reports that reaching seniors involves more than just promotion services. In order to forge lasting connections with seniors, brands must share stories and images. We’ve long since been advocates of visual marketing, and it is even more important for this audiences. Ensure that your cover photos are up to date with captivating and emotional images and share photos that relate to your senior customers.

And then there are the social networks themselves. AARP states that, “the top four online activities for people over 60 are Google, Facebook, Yahoo and YouTube.” Thus, marketing efforts targeting this age group should focus on Facebook and YouTube, two platforms. However, it’s important to note that AARP itself has 66,119 Twitter followers, proving that other social networks are not to be ignored altogether.

Ready to start marketing to seniors on social media but are sure where to begin? Contact us! We’ll help you develop a social media strategy and start connecting with this important demographic online!