Marketing Healthcare Services to Baby Boomers
Healthcare and insurance companies wanting to engage Baby Boomers need to let go of traditional ways communicating to this generation. We need to recognize that our traditional perception of their priorities does not align with what they actually want – boomers want to stay active while also dealing with the challenges that come with getting older.
According to Pew Research Centre, anyone born between 1946 and 1964 falls within the Baby Boomer generation. Right now, they are 54 to 72 years young, and currently, in the US there are about 76 million boomers, representing about 29 percent of the population.
“Baby Boomers are skilled, adept and experienced, so marketers need to use positive words and not make them feel over the hill”, said Ann Fishman, Founder of Generational Targeted Marketing. “Don’t make the content scary or have Boomers think, I’d rather have the disease than the cure because the message spends too much time rattling off all the negative side effects of a medication. You need to communicate with Baby Boomers in a way that shows results.”
Here are a few tips on how to effectively communicate your healthcare brand to this generation:
Choose your media wisely
Despite popular belief, Baby Boomers are internet savvy and spend a lot of time online. However, this mostly applies to the later Boomers. However, as with any generation, there are variances within the Boomers — a lot depends on an individual’s specific healthcare needs and when he or she lies within the Boomer age spectrum. The early Baby Boomers prefer to communicate via offline platforms.
Therefore it is important to keep in mind the variety of technical savviness within the Boomers itself. Brands need to communicate with Boomers across different media channels, including email newsletter, direct mail, social media, banner advertising, and community outreach.
Focus on the local
People within the Boomer generation are less likely to travel for health care services, so healthcare and medical organizations should focus on localizing their marketing campaigns. Healthcare organizations can cultivate relationships within the locality by hosting local programs and events for Boomers to educate them about different health issues, diet, and exercise.
Make use of social media
Healthcare organizations targeting Boomers need a strong social media strategy. Statista, a research firm, estimated approximately 68 percent of Baby Boomers in the US use YouTube. Online video marketing presents a great opportunity for organizations to present their products and services. Since Baby Boomers didn’t grow up in a world of instant gratification, they are likely not to be turned off by long-form or serialized videos.
Facebook is also another social media channel that Baby Boomers have warmed up to. The younger generation has been weaning off Facebook, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Boomers. On the other hand, Boomers seem to be less interested in other popular social media channels, such as Instagram and Twitter.
Be a link across generations
Baby Boomers are the link to further generations since they have kids and grandkids, as well as parents. Healthcare companies should keep this in mind as a way to boost their visibility. Providing information through different online and offline media channels can also be a way to reach the parents and children of Boomers as they are likely to provide advice and support to their families.
