It’s never easy being a grandparent. Your kids are getting older, and you’re still struggling to pay off all those baby bills. It’s also hard being the pioneer of a new trend. Many businesses see grandparents as customers too, but few actually market to them. That changes with digital marketing. Today, we’re going to teach you how to market to grandparents online.

The Online Grandparent Market

Let’s be honest, as consumers, we’ve all been there. That itch to buy something new, bigger, or just because it’s popular at the moment. Now that your kids are grown up and you have more time to yourself, hopefully, you’ll be able to put those impulses aside. You’re not likely to be running around buying random things for your grandkids. Yet, as a grandparent, you might find yourself in the situation where you have a desire to buy something unique for your own grandkids. That’s how marketers see you too. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 89% of grandparents want to buy things for their grandchildren. Only 8% are interested in products for themselves. So there’s your market. Now, let’s explore how to attract those customers to your product.

The Grandparent’s Connection To The Generations Before Them

Your grandparents might not remember a time when there weren’t computers, mobile phones, or the internet. Yet, they’ve grown up with these technologies being a part of their lives. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 75% of grandparents either regularly use a computer or mobile phone. Another 23% use them sometimes. These technologies give your grandparents a unique connection to the generations before them. That’s valuable information for marketers. It means that your product affects them more emotionally than you’d think. If you can leverage that, you can really connect with your audience and gain their trust. That’s essential for marketing any product, but it’s even more critical when marketing to grandparents.

Where Do They Spend Their Time?

If you want to connect with your grandparents, where do you start? You could build a relationship with them on social media. Create an account on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and start sharing content that’s relevant to them. These platforms give you the opportunity to connect with people all over the world. It might take some time to find the right content to share, but you can do it. The important thing is that you start the relationship somewhere, and you keep it going.

If you want to reach older generations, consider taking a leaf out of the millennials’ book and using video content. Grandparents are more used to reading online articles and watching videos than they are to interacting with humans via instant messaging or video calls. Videos allow you to show your face, create a connection, and allow your voice to carry across the screen. If your product is relevant to them and they can feel that you’re engaging with them, they’ll be more receptive to your message. Plus, they can see how you relate to and understand their situations. For example, if you’re trying to sell them an insurance policy, they might not always understand what term is referring to in relation to an insurance policy.

What Products Do They Like And Use?

Like many other demographics, grandparents want the latest and the greatest. If you’re marketing a product that is still in its infancy and has lots of promise, you might be able to gain a bit of traction with your marketing campaign. However, if your product is already popular, you might want to consider changing tack a little bit. Why? Because you can bet that your competition is already way ahead of you in this case. If you want to connect with your audience and gain their trust, you might want to put your best foot forward since they already have an idea of what you are.

If you want to reach the greatest number of grandparents, consider creating a product that is already popular among the millennials. They’re your target audience, and they have friends and family members who are also grandparents. If you can position your product as a millennial favorite, you can bet that many grandparents will be curious about what all the noise is about. It’s a great opportunity for you to explore a whole new audience and gain a whole new set of customers. You might not even have to do much marketing to achieve this. Word of mouth can do the trick. As long as you have a brand that is memorable and easy to find, your product will be in demand.

What Are Their Internet Usage Habits?

If you can get to know your grandparents a little better, you’ll be able to understand what kinds of products they prefer to browse the internet. The most important thing to consider about this group is how attached they are to the internet. It’s not just about social media for your grandparents. They’re likely to read articles online, watch videos online, and investigate products online. If you don’t offer them a digital foothold, you won’t be able to reach them. If you do, you can give them the best experience possible and gain their loyalty. If your product is relevant to them and they can feel that you’re engaging with them, they’ll be more receptive to your message.

The Difference In Attracting Gen-Z Vs Baby Boomer Vs. Traditional Marketers

One of the biggest differences between attracting Gen-Z and traditional marketers is that Gen-Z want to be taught how to be a better consumer. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 68% of Gen-Z want to be shown how to use consumer products effectively. Only 14% want to go into the dark and blindly follow the instructions on the package. So if you want to reach this audience, make sure that your marketing materials are effective and that you’re using the right words in the right way. They’re highly tuned into their consumerism lessons from an early age, and that’s something you have to learn to take advantage of.

Gen-Z are also less likely to be influenced by advertisements. Only 12% of Gen-Z would be influenced by ads in some way. That’s compared to 24% of the rest of the population. If you’re not used to marketing to this audience, you might want to rethink your strategy. However, for the sake of argument, let’s say that you’re a traditional marketer and you want to reach Gen-Z. What do you do?

Start by examining the reasons why Gen-Z aren’t turning to you yet. This group has plenty of information at their fingertips. They’re likely to be much more informed about the current affairs, and they’ve heard of your product or service. However, they might not know enough about you to feel confident that they can trust you. This is where the work of relationship building comes in. You have to establish yourself as a source of reliable information. It’s not enough to simply have a product that they might like. You have to prove that you’re not out to exploit them.

If you want to attract Baby Boomer customers, consider creating something that is nostalgic for them. They’re a group that is used to shopping online and researching products. However, when it comes to buying things for themselves, they might prefer to do it in person. That’s why you have to do everything possible to make them feel special. Get them a present that’s perfect for their age. Find out what they like and want. Then, use your resources to get those items delivered to their homes. Don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to make sure that their experience is as seamless as possible. When you do that, they’ll feel that your product deserves a bit of their attention, and that’s exactly what you want from a brand.

Traditional marketers also need to adapt to the digital realm. Those that don’t will disappear. The ones that do will rise to the top. The line between marketing and sales has blurred, and that’s something that traditional marketers need to get used to.

How To Market to Grandparents Online

There are multiple ways to market to grandparents online. However, to be successful, you need to find the right method for the right situation. Here are a few ideas that can help you connect with your audience and gain their trust:

Start On Social Media

If you want to connect with your grandparents, start on social media. Create an account on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and start sharing content that’s relevant to them. These platforms give you the opportunity to connect with people all over the world. It might take some time to find the right content to share, but you can do it. The important thing is that you start the relationship somewhere, and you keep it going.

If you want to attract more grandparents to your product, share content that is relevant to them and show that you’re taking the time to learn about their situations. For example, if your product is relevant to them and they can feel that you’re engaging with them, they’ll be more receptive to your message.