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Marketing and Motivating Boomers and Beyond

Archive for the ‘Retirement’ Category

Mature Marketing Links of the Week – 5/14/12

Monday, May 14th, 2012

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend honoring the mothers in their lives. (Or being honored; that’s nice, too!)

Two quick stats on moms:

My mother, Patricia Read, was an "older mom"-trendsetter. She had me at 38. Today she supports an adult child & several grandchildren financially.

1) Mothers today are older and better educated, compared with mothers a decade ago. Roughly 7,500 women gave birth at age 45 or over in 2008 and an increasing number of those women who have their first child after 35 don’t stop with just one.

2) MetLife found that nearly 80% of women of all generations have the desire to be able to give more financially to children or grandchildren. More than half of boomer moms are supporting adult kids financially today.

Marketing take-away: Check your assumptions about 50+ women being “empty nesters” with newly liberated wallets at the door. Be sure you really listen to your prospect and understand their personal situation.

 

Now, on to our weekly round-up of top baby boomer and seniors marketing links, resources and articles.

1. MOST SHARED: Our post on “Re-Thinking Retirement – 6 Lessons for Marketers” was re-tweeted and shared widely last week. Those lessons aren’t unique to retirement communities. We’d love your thoughts on how your organization is responding to the re-invention of that lifestage called retirement.

Read the post/add your comments: http://bit.ly/IR6PtO

Related post with a senior consumer perspective, courtesy of North Hill retirement communities: http://blog.northhill.org/?p=1480

2. MOST CLICKED: Baby boomers appear to be sacrificing their own retirements for the sake of their (adult) children. As the Wall Street Journal reports,

Ameriprise Financial in 2007 surveyed three generations—boomers, their children and their parents—and learned that less than half of boomers (44%) were trying to save for retirement while also providing support for their children and parents.

Fast forward to December 2011: The portion of boomers saving for their own retirement has fallen to one in four (24%)—but they’re still helping out their families. More than half (58%) are assisting their aging parents, including helping them pay for groceries (22%), medical expenses (15%) or utility bills (14%).

“It’s disturbing that people are still providing the same, intense level of support, up or down, and they’re five years closer to retirement,” says Suzanna de Baca, Ameriprise’s vice president of wealth strategies. “This is not registering with boomers.”

Read the full article: http://on.wsj.com/J4l8Pm

Chart from OptiRate based on Harris Interactive survey data:

Also re-tweeted repeatedly, two quotes that seem to have struck a chord with followers and blog readers:

- “A tweet is like toothpaste – once it’s out, you can’t put it back in the tube.” ~ www.scrambls.com via the Social Media Insider (Twitter “handle” @socialmedia411 and worthy of a follow)

- “Plan your life like you’ll live to 100. Live your life like you’ll die tomorrow.” Jim Firman of the National Council on Aging

 

Mature Marketing Links of the Week – 4/30/12

Monday, April 30th, 2012

What articles or resources connected with mature marketing professionals this past week? Read on for a run-down of the “hottest” links, based on the engagement of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus followers.

1. MOST CLICKED: NPR’s “Family Matters: The Money Squeeze,” which examines the joys and challenges of caring for aging parents. Stats/new research plus interviews sharing the first-hand experiences of those in multigenerational households and other caregivers are making this a very powerful series. NPR defines the scope of the challenge:

“… providing long-term care is, in fact, common. Nearly 10 million adult children are caring for aging parents, according to the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Other adult children are contributing to the cost of a parent’s assisted-living care, which MetLife says averages about $3,500 a month.

‘The percentage of adult children providing personal care and/or financial assistance to a parent has more than tripled over the past 15 years,’ the research group found.”

Listen to the reports: http://n.pr/IgLPuV

2. MOST SHARED: What’s the real story? Are older workers retiring later or speeding off the exit ramps now? Kerry Hannon looks at labor stats and implications for baby boomer brain drain in Forbes.

Read the story: http://onforb.es/JMooiv

3. Under new US Census measurements of poverty, 1 in 6 American elders lives under the poverty line. Elderblogger Ronni Bennett shares her perspective on the numbers, and her readers share their own personal stories in the comments section. http://bit.ly/IPg26A

4. To our clients, we stress the need for a steady stream of relevant, motivating content. But if you hear “content” and think only “words” you might find yourself losing your audience. This post in Mashable talks about the shift to visual storytelling on the web, a world in which great design and photography are critical. http://on.mash.to/InHagH

We offer a note of caution about the writer’s love of special effects, however. When it comes to 50+ Internet users, they care less about gee whiz gadgetry and can be very frustrated by elements that scroll, skip, fade, and move around without warning. Baby boomers and seniors still see the web as more tool than entertainment. So if you add a special effect, it better add to the user’s understanding of your product/service.

 

Resource Reminder: Creating Results’ national study into what photography succeeds or fails with baby boomers and beyond can be a helpful guide as you move to more visual storytelling content. Download the free eBook at www.CreatingResults.com/PhotoFinish.

Mature Marketing Links of the Week – 3/19/2012

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Last week we celebrated Pi Day, the ides of March (et tu, baby boomer marketer?) and St. Paddy’s Day (sorry Kermit, but once a year it IS easy being green). We also shared a wide variety of resources to help you get better results while marketing to the 50+ consumer. Here are the links that received the most clicks, retweets, discussion or attention last week.

1. MOST SHARED: Consumers feel that 1 or 2 Facebook messages a day from a brand or organization are too many. A TolunaQuick survey found that respondents “felt overwhelmed by brand messages on social media,” reported PR Daily.  ”Other findings from the study that brands will want to consider:

  • 40 percent of respondents felt that brand promotions are too complex to enter;
  • 20 percent felt incentives are not worth the effort;
  • 75 percent said that one or two Facebook messages per day is too much to receive from a brand;
  • Nearly 40 percent don’t want to share brand interactions with friends
  • 20 percent proactively post messages to brand pages.”

The findings didn’t surprise our team one bit. As I tweeted, when Creating Results conducted its Social, Silver Surfers research, we heard this message from baby boomers and seniors using social networks. Only 15% said yes, yes they wanted to engage with a brand via social platforms. The majority told us loud and clear that they felt overmarketed to already and that social media was a personal, not commercial space. (Download the eBook at www.CreatingResults.com/SocialSilverSurfers.)

2. MOST CLICKED: Did you know 52% of #babyboomer women rely on ad insertions, print/online coupons? Good opp for QR code ow.ly/9wR7C

Also notable and useful … Two for those marketing real estate / 50+ housing / retirement communities:

3. Cross-country relocation is just not the norm for baby boomers. Reuters reports that Americans are retiring closer to home than they did in the past.

“The increasing popularity of the short-distance move may be a result of the many advantages the strategy offers. Retirees who stay an hour or two from where they worked and raised their children can cut their costs while staying near their friends, cultural events, major airports and medical facilities. Moving outside the metro area means they don’t have to compete on housing prices with people who need to be closer to the city for their jobs.”

We’d add that 50+ers can also stay close to their jobs to work full- or part-time while easing into “retirement.” Read the full article at  ow.ly/9z0oE

4. Looking for data on the impact of seniors on the housing market? Check out this deck from the National Multi Housing Council, “Resetting the Demand for Multi Family Housing: Demographic and Economic Drivers to 2020.” The report includes data on the change in US households by age group, the rise in multigenerational households and renters who double up, and more.

Download the full PDF report at  ow.ly/9BdGu

And one for everybody:

5. A terrific piece in the Wall Street Journal on how we all can – and should – be creative. ow.ly/9CLjz

 

I hope you’ll be creative in sharing your comments and thoughts, below.

Mature Marketing Links of the Week – 3/5/12

Monday, March 5th, 2012

What resources for marketing to baby boomers and beyond caught the attention of our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook followers last week? Read on for top links.

1. MOST SHARED/MOST CLICKED: From the San Francisco Chronicle, how the retirement attitudes of baby boomers differ from those of Gen X. In short, older baby boomers have the most saved but they also are withdrawing more from their retirement savings plans and adding less. Gen Xers are most willing to take risks with their investments, not surprising since retirement is further off for this cohort. Get all the stats at http://bit.ly/zqIbju.

Also gaining clicks and shares this week:

2. What kinds of emails are shared most often? A new survey from Emailvision shows emails with discounts are shared more than any others. Humorous marketing emails rank 2nd in terms of viral shares.

The survey also found that the #1 goal of email marketers was to extend the brand reach. #2 was to build loyalty – retaining customers, building support. As eMarketer notes,

“email marketers are hoping that passed-along emails and other content shared through social channels will help build awareness or reputation, and, conveniently, the messages most likely to accomplish these goals are the ones with deals and promotions that should also help marketers increase sales and gain new customers.”

Read the full article on eMarketer at http://bit.ly/AqAKgN

As we’ve said frequently, email marketing is a very effective tool for reaching baby boomers and seniors. What goals have you set for your email program? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

3. 88% of Internet users will research products online in 2012. Check out this infographic with Internet usage projections http://bit.ly/Anoi1V

4. An iPad class at continuing care retirement community North Hill is giving seniors new ways to connect with friends, family and the world. http://bit.ly/xBJBx2

5. Todd Harff blogs about blogs. (It’s not as meta as it appears.) This week, Todd shared stats on blog use by baby boomers and seniors and tips for starting/maintaining a blog directed at this audience. While the post was in response to an S.O.S. from a real estate marketer, the tips apply to any organization hoping to use a blog as part of its 50+ marketing program.  http://knowledge.creatingresults.com/2012/03/01/blogging-and-the-baby-boomer-home-buyer/

As always, please let us know your thoughts on this blog below. Have a great week!

Mature Marketing Links of the Week 2.20.12

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Happy President’s Day Monday.  The following are the mature marketing links and resources of note for the past week. Enjoy!

1. MOST CLICKED: Love was in the air with Three Not-So-Silly Statistics for Valentine’s Day, examining fun facts about 55+ consumers from the National Health Statistics Reports.

     Marriage does a heart good: Findings included that Boomers and Beyond who were married had less difficulty with social and physical activities than those who were formerly married- reminding us that connections are important and should be encouraged within active adult housing and CCRCs to keep ALL motivated and moving.  Click here to read more insights and implications.

2. Florida faces fight to lure retiring boomers: this insightful piece from the Sun Sentinel received a high number of clicks for the week, and with good reason. http://ow.ly/8WEHM

The wants and needs of boomers on the cusp of retiring is changing and in order to continue to draw retirees a recent report shows that Florida may have some re-thinking to do. 96% of respondents surveyed within a Consumer Federation of the Southeast survey placed the highest emphasis on top notch health care (above climate and taxes).   The article examines the strengths of Florida and other areas when it comes to attracting this Boomer market and things they will have to think about when marketing to this target if they want to capitalize on the potential revenue of even a small percentage of the Boomer population looking to relocate.

3.  What Google’s Privacy Policies and what they mean for Seniors:      The ever changing and expanding world of Google and recent privacy policies put in place were examined in an article on Aging In Place Technology Watch.

Creating Results is honored to be a nominee for SeniorHomes.com’s Best of the Web 2012.  Please vote for our blog as top senior living industry resource.  Click here to vote for Mature Marketing Matters and thank you in advance for letting us share news and insights for marketing to the 55+ market.

 

 

 

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week- 1/30/2012

Monday, January 30th, 2012

It’s a new week and once again time to explore Creating Results’ top Tweets of the Week. Enjoy!

MOST CLICKED:

1. Does Google accurately guess age and gender:  Fun article that explores Google’s privacy announcements by testing if this internet search giant can accurately guess your age.  An informal survey within the article of the author’s colleagues found some interesting results in the age category, however the ISP was more able to effectively identify interests was fairly accurate.   Here are few of the age misses the article shares:

  • Women aged 24, 25, and 28 were estimated to be men aged 25-34.
  • Men aged 30, 41, and 29, plus a 39-year-old woman, were all found to be boomer or seniors aged 65 or older

Try it for yourself

2.  Great Ad Age article that explores the recent disclosures from Paula Deen regarding her health and the impact to her credibility as a brand.  As marketers this piece presents a reminder of how personal a brand is to boomers and seniors and the inability to distinguish (in this case) the person from the brand.

WORTH REPEATING:

A beautiful story in the Huffington Post of caring for senior parents with Alzheimer’s and the grief experienced by all it touches.  Experience a glimpse into the story of one woman as she helps her senior mom deal with a beloved father suffering from this disease.

OVERHEARD (and too funny not to share):

Woman:  “I noticed you limping, is anything wrong?” Gentleman: ” It’s a degenerative issue with my joints that is just too hard to pronounce.  The initials are O.L.D.”

 

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.

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.

Statistics on Groups in LinkedIn give insights for marketing to baby boomers, seniors

Other Top Tweets:

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

Infographic - Statistics for Seniors Marketing - Secrets of Santa Claus

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.

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.

Infographic - Statistics for Seniors Marketing - Secrets of Santa Claus

 (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!

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 12/12/11

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Tweets from @CreatingResults that were most discussed, shared or clicked last week. Let’s dive in!

TOP TWEETS THIS WEEK

1. Holiday homecomings may last a long, long time for Baby Boomer women. Mostly driven by the recession, they’re now housing their adult children and don’t anticipate packing them up any time soon. http://bit.ly/u2VETl

2. Free social media tools your brand should be using to research baby boomers  and seniors bit.ly/vJnNeG

3. Retirement: Busy, but a different kind of busy. http://exm.nr/tTFTv5

4. As people put off moving into any type of senior housing, senior living providers are finding those entering are “significantly older—and in need of more care—than they were several years ago” reports Senior Housing News.  http://bit.ly/slWBXe

5. Featured by SocialMediaToday.com: Gaining Boomer and Senior Marketing Insights from Social Media by @CreatingResults ow.ly/1g6UNC

And a tweet that should have gotten more attention because these are words we can all live by … From Laura Fitton (aka @Pistachio, thought leader and the author of Twitter for Dummies): “Just in case you forget, sometimes http://ow.ly/i/n0AH


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