5 Tips to Connecting With The Boomer Social Boom

Randy Clark is the Director of Communications at TKO Graphix, where he blogs for TKO Graphix Brandwire. Prior to TKO, he spent 13 years with Unique Home Solutions as Marketing Director and VP of Operations. He is an avid flower gardener, beer geek, and he fronts a rock & Roll band on the weekends. And yes, he is a Boomer.

I am a Boomer. I was born between 1946 and 1964, and I have Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and You Tube accounts. According to USA Today, Facebook has 16.5 million users, 55 or older, while MySpace has 6.9 million users. Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWeb, states, “More than 60 percent of those in this generational group actively consume socially created content like blogs, videos, podcasts, and forums. What’s more, the percentage of those participating is on the rise.”

So why is this important to social marketers? AARP Global Network claims, “Boomers should be just as desirable to marketers as millennial and gen-xers in the coming years.” AARP quoted Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Boomers are the mainstream of the country now, when you attract a mainstream audience, you’re going to attract a lot more commercial interests. Boomers validate that this is a big market, and that this is a place where commercial interests can make money.” Since Boomers are increasing their involvement in social networking, it is important to consider how to connect with them. We are here, but we may not hear. You… may… have… to… speak… slower… and LOUDER!

Five Tips On How To Connect With Boomers

Keep it simple. If you want to engage Boomers, make it easy. Remember we hadn’t seen a computer until we were older than most of you are now! If we have to jump through too many hoops, we might become frustrated and give up.

Explain boundaries. Imagine George Carlin or Richard Prior on your Facebook account. Upon receiving a Facebook friend request from his father, Will Smith (not the actor) explained to his father what was not acceptable (PCWorld.com). “Politics, sex, jokes, things you find funny but offend me, comments about family members, any combination of the aforementioned items, and pretty much every email you’ve ever sent me.”

Grammar does matter. We have watched the language devolve, u no? Understandably, many Boomers think the rules have been thrown out the window. Take the time to explain that poor grammar, misspelling, and bad writing do influence readers on social networks. It is not okay to call it “the ‘puter.”

Teach us social network netiquette. Sometimes we are so excited when we learn how to do something, we overlook what is next. Should I have mentioned them in the RT? Oh, was I supposed to thank someone for friending me? These simple netiquette cues need to be explained to Boomers.

Speak our language. Boomers may not keep up with the latest and greatest APPadohickie. We are more excited just to be in the game! If we stare at you with a glazed, distant look, be patient and explain it to us.

According to Wikipedia, “Baby Boomers control over 80% of personal financial assets and more than 50% of discretionary spending power. They are responsible for more than half of all consumer spending, buy 77% of all prescription drugs, 61% of OTC medication, and spend $500 million on vacations per year and 80% of all leisure travel.”([24])

When creating your next social media plan, do not overlook the Boomer market segment. Do a little research and find out where the Boomers hang in your neighborhood. Sites catering to boomers, such as www.eons.com, with over 800,000 members, continue to grow.
And remember, like they always say… what was it they say? There was something I wanted to share…now what was it? It was just on the tip of my tongue. Oh well…make yourself a great day! Peace.

Social Media Selling to the New CEO

It is going to happen.

The Baby Boomer generation is going to slowly trickle out of the top spots in companies all over the world and Generation X is going to take thier place. How are you positioning your company to sell to the next CEO?

There are individuals who have different ideas on how to market directly to leaders of companies. There are direct mail campaigns, email marketing, event marketing, and offline networking. However, the world is slowly changing.. let me rephrase that.. the world is fast approaching a digital community of business owners and entreprenuers who are creating content and communicating on a level that was never possible… until now.

LinkedIN is posting 5% growth in July. Facebook is growing at an exponential rate among men 26-34. Even Plaxo and Twitter are making strides into the world of B2B selling. Are you supporting your company to market to the next generation of CEOs?

The next generation of CEOs are going to connect on an entirely different level than their predecessors. Email and newsletters are going to be a thing of the past and the new social economy will welcome them with open arms.

We have a global community of people presenting ideas and content on a daily basis to help run businesses at a smoother, more profitable rate. Why are you not involved in this process? Is valuable content such a scary proposition?

Share your ideas on a blog. Start a LinkedIN group for young professionals. Invest in the 25-38 year old demographic (both male/female) and watch the leads start to generate as they take positions of power in the company.

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Baby Boomer’s Should Listen to Gen Y in Tech

We (Brandswag) have regular conversations with the good folks over at the Taylor MBA program. They are a great school and are always in tune and up-to-date with changes in communication technology. Taylor MBA’s head honcho, Larry Rottmeyer, forwarded me an article from the Havard Business Review names Let Gen Y Teach Teach. The article is about older generations finding a younger mentor.

This is a new concept to me. In pre and post college years you are told constantly to find older mentors who have the ability to guide you through the difficult parts of life and business. I am a huge advocate of the younger generations finding mentors. I would not be where I am today without the guidance of some key people in my life. That point… is for certain.

Time Warner has decided to take the lead on a reverse mentoring program which gives younger individuals the chance to mentor the older generation.

I find it fascinating that this conversation is taking place among the business and technology elite around the globe. There should always be a give and take relationship when it comes to a mentoring position… both young and old. This gives the younger generation (my generation) the ability to show their skills in things that may be deemed as unnecessary to some…in the older generations.

The fact is… technology is going to change the face of how we do business… it happens in every generation. It is comforting to know some are taking a valiant leap towards learning more about the world of communication technology.

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All That Matters Is Your Story

We are experiencing a change in the world of customer communication. It is no longer the company that is controlling the brand management but the consumer. Forget the concept of social media… we have been witnessing this transition for the past decade… and since the inception of the Internet as a worthwhile tool for communication.

Customers are now talking about you at a staggering pace using sites like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIN… and the list goes on. I was watching TV today and taking note of the increasinly terrible advertising that is taking place on the cable networks. I began to realize that I (along with millions of others) are no longer making buying decisions based on traditional advertising. You can take the definition of traditional advertising any way you want but in my terms it means old ways of doing business.

A great book to read from the Heath brothers is Made to Stick which talks about the concept of creating a story to push your company into the next decade of communication. I have read, reread, and read again the excellent points made throughout the book and began to realize one thing… if you do not create a story that your customers can retell you will lose market share steadily over the next couple of years.

We might not be seeing a steady decline because social media and the Internet is still bleeding edge when it comes to market penetration in a global sense. My question is simply this: What happens when we do reach the peak of market penetration for social media? What happens when your customers ARE using the tool and using it effectively? What do you do when you reach the point? Are you ready for the onslaught? Is your communications department familiarizing themselves with the tools?

All that matters is your story. You are going to be creating a story based on a marketing process but we might come to the point where it doesn’t matter what you want your story to be… your customers are going to create a story anyway. Experience is the key to the future of marketing and customer communication. They (your customer) are going to be talking NOT about your sales or PR release but how they personally experienced your product or service.

Are you preparing yourself for the new age of communication?

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Is Generation Y Completely Stupid?

There has been some talk lately about my generation (the millenials and generation Y). Is the Internet making us genius or completely incapable of making smart decisions (dumb)?

I do not know where my opinion falls on the subject. I have had contact with brilliant Generation Y minds and also those who are still lacking the personal development needed to be successful in life.

I guess my question is this…

Did radio and TV completely erode the minds of Gen X and the Baby Boomers? Did we see a lack of control when Generation X spent a ton of time watching TV throughout the day?

The Internet has developed a communication platform that enhances the way we learn and communicate.

Generation Y may lack in terms of true research and grammar but we will never lack in connecting the the global environment.

Gone are the days when you could not communicate with the opposite hemisphere. We are living in a global information highway where knowledge is plentiful…

We may just be losing the essentials of old school thought.

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Is Gen Y Going to Leave Facebook?

I “grew” up on Facebook. It is true.

My sophomore year of college is when Facebook hit the campus of Anderson University like a firestorm. Everyone was joining talking about the internal messaging and laughing at the pictures being posted over the first couple of months. It was the epitome of a 24/7 party but online.

Gen Y (millennial) have ruled Facebook for the last couple of years but that is changing… rapidly. Online Media Daily describes the changing tide of demographics on the social media powerhouse:

“Facebook is aging fast. The number of U.S. users over 35 has doubled in just the last 60 days, according to new data from Inside Facebook.”

Baby Boomers are also taking advantage of Facebook… rapidly. What is a Gen Y to do?

I have been having multiple conversations lately about the generation clash that is about to happen on Facebook. With parents and family members joining the social network I believe we are going to see a shift in younger users moving on to other platforms. Maybe.

It is debateable. Can the Gen Y users get comfortable with their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles joining THEIR network?

What do you think?

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Facebook Isn’t For Your Kids Anymore

I was reading a new social networking report from Nielsen called Global Faces and Networked Places and they had some stats about the growth of Facebook over the past year.

At Brandswag we deal with the Facebook paradigm from the older generations. Many of the small business owners we talk to would rather not think about using Facebook for marketing or networking because it is something their kids use. Now, we know that is not entirely true and yes… Facebook is used by your children but there is more behind .

The past few years have seen an increase in the use of Facebook by the Gen X and Baby Boomer crowd. According to the Nielsen report the greatest growth on Facebook has been from the people aged 35-49.

Guess what age group doubled that of their 18 year old children? The 50-64 year olds.

We are talking about one-third of the global audience on Facebook being between the ages of 35-49! What does this mean for small business owners? It means that you now have a viable source for business networking. It means that social media is no longer all about your children.

This small piece of your marketing strategy is now catering to all age groups… young and old. Is it time to start using social media to grow your business? Is it time to at least learn how to communicate online?

Absolutely. Start now.

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Guest Post: Social Media, For Folks of My Vintage!

Today’s guest post is by Linda Fitzgerald. What is She working on?

Growing an online community for ‘chronologically maturing’ women traveling through the 2nd half of the journey. Developing and launching the face to face companion neighborhood networks known as “AFFILIATED WOMEN INTERNATIONAL.

Kyle laughs when I use that phrase! It refers to those of us who grew up in the shadow of the “greatest generation”. Those who are supposed to sit on the porch & do nothing!

But social media is not just for the young. It’s become a phenomenon valuable for all ages. Ask folks who work in geriatrics about using social media as a means to keep the brains of elder persons alive and well. Not to mention the health benefits of staying connected to others in order to reduce a sense of isolation that leads to early death.

Those of us who are not yet confined to anything except our computers find social media an excellent tool for developing online relationships that are as strong as many we’ve had for years and meet face to face with on a continual basis. Ask me! I can tell you that the friends I’ve made online via a number of social networking sites, including our own, are priceless.

Did it take me longer to learn to use the tools? You bet, but the practice of not using books (Face book for Dummies or some such material) to enhance the learning process made it all the more exciting when “I did it!” And it kept my brain cells from atrophying. The process of trying to figure out different forms of social media, i.e. Twitter, can be exceedingly frustrating. But once we’ve got it down – the process is absolutely fantastic.

The one thing I enjoy the most is the ‘youth’ of those with whom I now connect and build relationships. Many are young enough to be a grandchild! I never think of it and they are kind enough to never remind me. That in itself is healthy and emotionally satisfying.

I recommend to my ‘vintage’ friends that they dust off the system and at least make a Face book page. For no other reason than to reconnect with friends from high school or college. A few weeks ago I had that pleasure. Got a Face book message from a woman I knew from my young adult days who had been a close friend of my brother. I recognized her immediately and we’ve now reconnected. It was the highlight of an otherwise mundane day.

Have a ‘vintage’ friend or family member you want to keep mentally alert and emotionally healthy? Get them engaged in social networking. Don’t take an “I don’t have time” for an answer.

And certainly don’t take “I’m too old” as an excuse. I’m a perfect example that “old dogs can learn new tricks”. At least social media “tricks”!

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Baby Boomer Me Up. The 43+ Revolution.

How many times have we heard the negative remarks surrounding social media marketing sound something like this:

“I don’t feel like I need to invest our time and resources into social media. I don’t think our Baby Boomer demographic will relate to that type of technology.”

At Brandswag we hear this all the time. It is a concept that has been etched into the mind of small business owners who cater to the baby boomer generation. They have a hard time connecting the importance of social media to their niche clientele. This is because of the overwhelming MYTH that social media is only for my generation, the millenials.

The shift has slowly started to take form. The paradigm shift between social media being a “bright shiny object” and it actually become a viable marketing tool. The time is not to stop ignoring and start implementing into your marketing strategy.

ReadWriteWeb’s Sarah Perez has a great post entitled, How to Reach Baby Boomers with Social Media. In the post I found the following image below… which gives an inside look into the social technolographics of the Baby Boomer generation:

Here are some stats to show you the potential of using social media marketing with the baby boomer demographic.

In 2007, the percentage of Boomers consuming social media was 46% for younger Boomers (ages 43 to 52) and 39% for older Boomers (ages 53 to 63). By 2008, those number increased to 67% and 62%, respectively.

This is some huge growth! The potential of using a blog, wiki, podcast, or social networking site to reach the baby boomer generation is something that cannot be ignored by YOUR business.

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