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Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 1/9/2012

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Every Monday, we bring you those tweets from the past week that received the most clicks/re-tweets or generated the most discussion.

1. MOST CLICKED: Red, White and Gray – the high costs and high rewards of longer lives (The Atlantic) http://bit.ly/ymnGqu

2. MOST SHARED: Advocates say more gay-friendly senior housing is needed – many older gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender adults fear discrimination and disrespect await them after a move to a senior community (CBS News) http://bit.ly/AaSNtt

3. Understanding the needs and concerns of baby boomers as they pass through five stages on the road to retirement (Albuquerque Business Journal) http://bit.ly/y08b1O

4. How choosing the right photography can make your marketing more effective with baby boomers and seniors (ICAA Journal on Active Aging) http://bit.ly/zrgdoV

And a tweet that should have received more attention – “6 Ways to Approach Branding and Social Media for Your Business in 2012.” The author of the post, Amanda Miller Littlejohn (@amandamogul), was inspired by one of our favorite books - Content Rules. She notes that too many businesses will dive into 2012 marketing without first taking time to think strategically.

“One of the things I’ve noticed when working with solopreneurs, small business clients and even non-profit organizations is the overwhelmingly ad hoc approach to creating content for the web. I get it: small business owners are short on time and short on staff. We wear so many hats that it’s easy to forget the importance of planning. But planning is the best way that you stay on message and continually reinforce your brand.”

Read Amanda’s 6 tips here: http://www.blackenterprise.com/2012/01/04/6-ways-to-approach-branding-and-social-media-for-your-business-in-2012/

Don’t let the discussion end! Share your thoughts on 2012 planning or any of these links in the comments below.

Posted in Boomers, Housing, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Retirement | No Comments »

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week- 12/19/2011

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Tweets from @CreatingResults over the course of the last week that were most shared, discussed and clicked. Happy Tweeting!

By far the most shared post was Gaining Boomer and Senior Marketing Insights from Social Media. Find out what messages/strategies are hitting (or missing) the mark. Todd Harff recaps a number of resources that can be extremely helpful in determining and leveraging boomer and senior social preferences and behaviors, including LinkedIn’s which allows you to see what is generating the most interest segmented by industry or group.

Other Top Tweets:

1. Santa’s Senior Secrets- An infographic chock full of not only holiday cheer but stats on seniors the world over.

2. Baby Boomer social media revolution: More and more boomers flock to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. How will you reach them?

3. Seven reasons direct mail and print remain effective marketing tools.

4. Interesting article via @AllThingsAging examining the rise of Ethnogeriatrics within diverse communities.

Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Generation Jones (trailing edge Boomers), Housing, Internet, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Retirement, Silent Generation, Social Networking | No Comments »

A Sleighful of Statistics on Seniors – and Santa

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Seniors make up 13% of Americans and by 2030 will be 20% of the United States population. But our favorite senior may be dear old Santa Claus. The right jolly old elf is – at the least – just shy of 200 years old. This holiday, Creating Results celebrates timeless seniors everywhere with a brand new infographic. Statistics, insights … they’re all in Santa’s pack, below.

(For a version which is larger/printable/easy to share, click on the image.)

As always, we feel feedback from our readers is a great gift. Please share your thoughts on this infographic in the comments section. And, HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Creating Results!

Tags: chart, infographic, Santa Claus, statistics
Posted in 60+, Housing, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Retirement, Silent Generation | No Comments »

Three Not-So-Silly Statistics for Valentine’s Day

Monday, February 14th, 2011

We ♥ Boomers & Seniors

Three fun yet actionable facts for marketers about 55+ consumers (Baby Boomers and beyond), from the National Health Statistics Reports:

1. Marriage can be good for your health … up to a point. Currently married 55-74 year olds were less likely to report their heath status as “fair” or “poor.” But adults 75+ who were currently married were more likely to report fair/poor health. And more previously married adults over 55 reported fair/poor health than those who had never been married. (I guess it is not better to have loved and lost than never have to loved at all.)

Marketing implication: younger-old prospects who are currently married will be more motivated by, and should place a higher value on programs and services that help them maintain good health. Segment your messaging appropriately.

2. “My wife says I never listen to her. At least that’s what I think she said.” (Anonymous) Married Baby Boomers and seniors are more likely than those unmarried/formerly married to report a hearing impairment. They also are more likely to get a flu shot, visit a dentist and be a non-smoker.

Marketing implication: sometimes it’s quite effective to direct your messaging at the spouse. They often spot what their husband/wife needs and may not be willing to admit, and will prod them to address the problem.

3. Seniors with a spring in their step. In prepping the report, the US Department of Health & Human Services asked Americans if they had difficulty with social and physical activities such as socializing, relaxing, carrying 10 pounds or walking a quarter of a mile. Formerly married adults had the highest rate of difficulty with these activities; currently married adults generally had the fewest problems. Regular leisure-time physical activity was higher among currently marrieds than formerly marrieds as well.

Marketing implications: First off, it’s important for marketers to recognize that 1 in 4 Americans over 55 has difficulty walking 1/4 mile. 1 in 5 is challenged by walking up 10 steps, 1 in 4 will struggle with standing for two hours and 1 in 10 has difficulty sitting for two hours. The health and comfort limitations of mature prospects should influence how you plan special events, conduct tours of your historic attraction and/or design your sales centers.

Secondly, for marketers of active adult housing or CCRCs, divorced/widowed Boomers and seniors clearly have a need for someone who will encourage them to be physically and socially active. This need can be filled by new connections at your retirement or un-retirement community. That encouragement can be in the form of new friendships, the lifestyle director at the clubhouse, a bridge game and so on. So be sure your marketing photography is something these formerly married prospects can relate to, with shots of friendly, active un-couples.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Got another not-so-silly statistic about Boomers, seniors and marriage? Share it in the comments section below.

Tags: boomer health, statistics, Valentines Day
Posted in 50+, 60+, Boomers, Housing, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Stop Hunting for Active Adult Homebuyers. Start Gathering.

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Many developers of active adult housing still struggle to separate hype from reality when it comes to online marketing and social media. What really works with 50+ homebuyers? That’s the topic Creating Results’ President Todd Harff will address next week in Orlando, where he’ll be a featured presenter at the 2011 International Builders Show.

Todd - along with co-presenters Dee Minich, Group Senior VP of Sales & Marketing for industry leader K. Hovnanian Homes and Jennifer McKee Hannon of the McKee Group – will present “50 Ways to Engage 50+ Consumers Through the Web and Social Media.” They’ll show attendees how to create their own Internet marketing action plan. And, they’ll share key findings from Creating Results’ soon-to-be-released national study, “Social, Silver Surfers.”

If you’re headed to Orlando, find your way to West 314B on Friday, January 14th. For the rest of us, here’s one big “ah-ha” Todd and his co-presenters will be stressing:

Want to pursue active adults? Stop hunting. Start gathering.

Gathering? Yup. Gathering.

Let’s be honest. No longer are builders simply “hunting” 50+ homebuyers with oversized postcards targeted by age, zip and income. Prospects begin hunting on their own – starting their research online, on their time, long before they think of paying you a visit in the real world.

So an integrated Internet Strategy that matches your prospects’ preferences is a critical resource to help you pursue AND nurture Leads.

Lead nurturing is an ongoing conversation, not a series of hit-and-run campaigns.

The Internet lead and the in-person lead should receive the same level of energy and service from your team. Start and maintain a conversation. Find out where they want to talk to you (your website? by email? on Facebook?) and respect that choice.

Give generously and frequently of your (online) time and (relevant, useful) content. Offer friendly incentives and discounts. Don’t think huge dollars, but make people feel special.

Play match-maker for other resources. That time-strapped Baby Boomer, trying to figure out how to downsize 30 years of household memories while caring for elderly parents and adult children and still keep her job … she’ll really appreciate your sharing a link to a reliable local plumber, contractor, Realtor or moving consultant.

By shifting your mindset and pursuing an integrated online plan, you’ll build your brand, attract new leads through lots of lovely keyword-rich content, AND you’ll nurture those leads.

Happy hunting gathering!

If you’d like to gather more insights into the online preferences and pet peeves of active adult homebuyers, register to receive the findings from Creating Results “Social, Silver Surfers” research at www.CreatingResults.com/social_silver_surfers.

Tags: international builders show, K. Hovnanian, Real Estate Marketing, Todd Harff
Posted in 50+, Housing, Internet, Real Estate Marketing, Social Networking, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Multigenerational Households On the Rise and Impacting Community Marketing

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

AdAge this week looked at the “accelerating trend of multigenerational households” and what it might mean for marketing to Baby Boomers, their parents and their adult children. The evolution of multigenerational households already has fundamentally changed the nature of active adult communities (50+ age-qualified). If this trend continues, it will call into question the viability of age qualified communities as we know them today.

But first, some context and a walk down memory lane.

Rising Numbers of Multigenerational Households

As AdAge notes,

Today 49 million Americans — more than one in six people in the U.S. — live in households with three or more generations, according to the Pew Research Center. The percentage is even higher for age groups 25-to-34 and 65 and older, where one in five, or 20%, live in these extended families.

While much of the increase in multigenerational households can be attributed to the recession, there is also an increased appreciation for the value of family. I grew up with my grandmothers living with us for a combined 10 years. I know how much I benefited from their involvement in my life. From playing games … to hearing the same stories again and again … to having people who had the time and desire to focus all their energies on a child … to learning to be patient and help my elders … Growing up in a multigenerational household was a gift.

A Trend Already Impacting Age-Qualified Communities

Creating Results has marketed 52 active adult and age-qualified communities in 12 states over the course of 10+ years. At first the communities were marketed to empty nesters and the vast majority of people who lived in the community were in their 50-70s (Baby Boomers and Silent Generation). Gradually, we began to see parents moving in with their adult children. These moves were prior to the economic downturn and were motivated by a desire to be with family. (more…)

Tags: AdAge, multigenerational households, Pew Research Center
Posted in 50+, 60+, Housing, Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Are Baby Boomers Really Ready to Move?

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

The 2010 Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey was just released, and the nation’s largest builder of active adult (55+ age-qualified) communities concludes that Boomers are ready and willing to move upon retirement.

“According to the Del Webb survey, nearly a third of older Baby Boomers plan to move in retirement, with more than 50 percent planning to move to a different state, about 25 percent of them planning to move to a different city within the same state, and less than 20 percent of older Boomers planning to move within the same city.”

So, are we going to see a great movement of Boomers criss-crossing the country in the coming years? The definite answer is: It depends.

What I find fascinating is that the results are different from the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI) / National Association of Home Builders 55+ Housing study which was completed just last year. It could be that the samples and questions are different, but Del Webb concludes that the Boomers are more mobile than MMI found.

Creating Results has spent more than 15 years of marketing real estate to older, more affluent homebuyers, including a large number of premier active adult communities. What we have found is that – absent the high cost of living states and escape from urban areas – only a small percentage of people are willing to move more than 100 miles.

Most people don’t want to move at all and would prefer to age in place. In 2009, this desire helped turn active adult housing from a sweet spot into a question mark. Boomers and beyond stayed put.

National studies can provide insights into broad trends, but it is generally not helpful (and even potentially dangerous) to apply the findings to individual communities. Motivators vary significantly. It is important to conduct specific research to develop target markets profiles for each community.

We also caution people against making assumptions about grandchildren and children. For many Baby Boomers, this is a critical motivator. However, for others it’s just not that important.

We wonder what percentage of the respondents to the 2010 Del Webb study were single. In our experience, that is a growing market in which prospects often are not as concerned about proximity to grandchildren. In some of the active adult communities we market, 1/3 of the buyers are single and they complain that a focus on grandchildren makes them feel excluded. They are concerned that they won’t fit into the commuinity.

One Del Webb finding that we agree with entirely is the importance of access to health care. This seems like a no-brainer, but few builders have the courage to address this top level concern in their marketing materials. They are afraid that it takes away from the lifestyle message. We believe that proximity to quality health care serivce is part of the lifestyle message.

What do you think of the 2010 Del Webb Study? Share your thoughts below.

Tags: Baby Boomer Survey, Del Webb, Mature Market Institute, NAHB
Posted in 50+, Boomers, Housing, Real Estate Marketing, Retirement, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Boomers are Wounded, Worried and Wary – What That Means for Marketing

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Pop quiz: what topics were hot at this year’s International Builders Show? A. Green Building, B. Financing (good luck, buddy), C. Social Media, or D. The psychological outlook of Baby Boomers and other active adult homebuyers. If you answered “all of the above,” you’re today’s winner.*

Baby Boomers are wounded, worried and wary. Even those who have survived the recent economic challenges financially are psychologically scarred.

In a white paper with 10 take-aways from this year’s Builders Show, I share the philosophy of Tim McCarthy, Managing Partner of Traditions of America, the renowned developer of active adult communities in Pennsylvania. Traditions sales and marketing team is focused on selling only to Active Adults who have come to terms with the reality of their economic situation. These are Baby Boomers and seniors who are ready to move forward with their lives.

Understanding the psychological outlook of mature homebuyers influences the marketing techniques Traditions of America uses. The most effective one focuses on building the confidence of top prospects. (Get the details in this “top 10 take-aways” white paper.)

As our team noted in the December 17 edition of Selling to Seniors, the key is to get to know who your prospects are now.

“The world could be quite a different place now than it was just a few years ago for someone, and often, shifting circumstances are beyond their control. For example, … You may be marketing to somebody who planned very well and covered all his retirement bases, but then his adult child loses their job. Or a health-care issue pops up and now he has to make adaptations. So your databases may contain the names of people who a year ago seemed like they were right in line with your product or service, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect where they are now.”

There are many ways you can take the pulse of today’s active adult consumers: lost buyer surveys, data mining and social listening are just a few ideas. Post your ideas below.

* Congratulations! Now, what did you win? How about the chance to prove how smart you are by sharing your strategies for understanding and motivating wounded, wary Baby Boomers in 2010. I’ll see you in the comments section.

Tags: lost buyer surveys, Selling to Seniors, Traditions of America
Posted in 50+, 60+, Boomers, Housing, Marketing, Real Estate Marketing | 2 Comments »

Social Media and Boomer, Senior Homebuyers: Untangling the Web

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Social media marketing seemed to be the topic of the hour at the 2010 International Builders Show (and other conferences I’ve attended in the past few months, such as the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging event). Builders and developers – of active adult communities, of intergenerational housing, of continuing care retirement communities – are all wondering how these newer online marketing tools can drive sales with Boomer and Senior homebuyers.

In a new white paper with the “Top Ten Take-Aways from IBS 2010,” tip #9 addresses Untangling the Web. While the seniors housing industry is buzzing about social media, there are a lot of questions about whether to dive in.

Is Social Media Marketing Worth It with Baby Boomers and Seniors?

For those with 50+ age-qualified properties, question #1 often is: Should I even bother? As we’ve talked about frequently on this blog, YES. Seniors, Boomers, folks over 40 – they’re online, and actively engaged in social media. Just last week, eMarketer highlighted the growing presence of Boomers on social networks.

It’s not just Baby Boomers, either. The stats show that 36% of Internet users over 63 are actively maintaining a social networking profile. (Roughly 13% of the entire US population is over 65.)

The short answer is every builder needs to be engaged in social media at some level.

Case Study: Using Social Media Techniques to Reach CCRC Retiree Prospects

Recently our team had the honor of working with Willow Valley Retirement Communitiesto revamp their website. Willow Valley is the nation’s third largest retirement community, and – unlike most CCRCs which draw primarily from their local area – it’s a true destination. Willow Valley attracts retirees from 37 states.

Their prospects are educated, active and typically in their 70s. However, the Willow Valley and Creating Results teams recognize the gradual shift that will occur over the next decade, as the Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1942) is joined by Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964).

Our plan for their new website was to make it not only functional and attractive, but to make the website the first stop on a prospect’s journey to retirement. That means it has to truly engaging. Social media techniques are built in throughout the site:

* share with a friend features – retirees can email, tweet or post content from any where in the site to their Facebook account
* videos embedded into the site from a branded WillowValley-TV channel on YouTube
* publications piped in from a digital publishing library that encourages sharing
* multiple calls for feedback and interaction (“suggest it to our librarian”)

The site is structured so that, looking ahead, the client can phase in more social engagement opportunities – message boards, blogs and comments/reviews.

Getting Social with Seniors, Strategically

Judging by the turnout at IBS social media sessions, many builders and developers are stuck on question #2 is: Where do I start?

I counsel our clients with active adult or continuing care retirement communities to start with the fundamentals, and that includes a plan. Any business wanting to incorporate social media into their Boomer marketing should have a strategy, goals, and have a plan that shows how social engagement is integrated into their rest of their marketing program for maximum impact.

(Creating Results also offers clients a bundle of social marketing services, including education, strategy and training … but that’s another story.)

Let’s put the question to you: In 2010, where will you start in your efforts to untangle the web and reach Boomers/senior homebuyers through social media? How can building community online drive sales for active adult and retirement communities offline?

Please share your thoughts and questions below.

Tags: AAHSA, Boomers social media, eMarketer, international builders show, Willow Valley Retirement Communities
Posted in 50+, 60+, Boomers, Housing, Internet, Mature Consumers, Real Estate Marketing, Social Networking, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

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Archive for the ‘Housing’ Category

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 1/9/2012

A Sleighful of Statistics on Seniors – and Santa

Three Not-So-Silly Statistics for Valentine’s Day

We ♥ Boomers & Seniors

Multigenerational Households On the Rise and Impacting Community Marketing

Rising Numbers of Multigenerational Households

A Trend Already Impacting Age-Qualified Communities

Are Baby Boomers Really Ready to Move?

Boomers are Wounded, Worried and Wary – What That Means for Marketing

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Archive for the ‘Housing’ Category

TOP TWEETS THIS WEEK

We ♥ Boomers & Seniors

Want to pursue active adults? Stop hunting. Start gathering.

Rising Numbers of Multigenerational Households

A Trend Already Impacting Age-Qualified Communities

Is Social Media Marketing Worth It with Baby Boomers and Seniors?

Case Study: Using Social Media Techniques to Reach CCRC Retiree Prospects

Getting Social with Seniors, Strategically

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Categories:

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