We hear a lot in the news and media about marketing to Millenials. We can learn a lot from every generation and as a marketer, I find the value of paying attention to all sides.

While certainly every generation has its traits, I find that as we face life’s inevitable milestones of home ownership, parenting, and aging parents, we meet in middle more than not. When working through your branding and communication plan, it helps to know your buyer and understand the nuances to cater your messaging.

If your primary buyers are Millenials, there is little no doubt that online marketing is a major component of your business plan. I find that many of business-to-business organizations and businesses that cater to an older generation tend to ignore or downplay the importance of building a digital presence.  

Interestingly, The Agency Post recently published The Ignored Generation: 25 Stats Brands Should Know About Marketing to Baby Boomers. You might be surprised to know that the statistics indicate how important online marketing is across all generations. Here are some of the highlights:

Baby boomers spend the most across all product categories but are targeted by just 5-10% of marketing.

Baby boomers spend more time online than millennials: 51% of baby boomers spend 15 hours per week online, while only 41% of millennials spend the same amount of time online. (Source)

49% of baby boomer tablet users and 40% of smartphone users made a purchase after conducting searches on their devices. (Source)

15.5 % of baby boomers who have a Facebook account spend 11+ hours per week on the site. (Source)

82% of baby boomers belong to at least once social networking site. (Source)

Are you surprised? I am not. Baby boomers are more “with it” than the younger set give them credit for. And guess what…baby boomers still have a lot of buying power too! Here is one last statistic to chew on as you consider dedicating additional resources to build your online presence: On average, people ages 50+ spend $7 billion per year online.

Do you need help with updating your organization’s marketing and communication strategy? It’s not as hard as you might think. Jackie Awve Marketing & Design provides consultations and long-term marketing programs to revitalize your brand.

Click here to read the full article, The Ignored Generation: 25 Stats Brands Should Know About Marketing to Baby Boomers.  

(originally posted on www.awvemarketing.com December 2015)