A recently-published Nielsen Company report suggests the fastest-growing demographic for mobile usage is people aged between 45 and 64. It may be counterintuitive in an industry where youth is generally considered king, but mobile marketers will have to remain alert to this middle-aged audience if they want to reach a big audience.
The report also found the same demographic flocking to social media in ever-greater numbers. Nielsen’s findings are corroborated by a GlobalWebIndex study that looked at thousands of consumers from all over the world. The results indicated that older adults were the main drivers of growth for social media sites including Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
Less surprising is the high rate of SMS usage among the middle-aged. Texting has been widespread for over two decades now, so even the most stubborn baby boomers who may be disinclined to change their habits are used to the technology.
Between social media and SMS, reaching older adults through their mobile phones has never been more straightforward. Staying informed of the kinds of statistics gathered by GlobalWebIndex and the Nielsen Company will help you strategize your mobile campaign more effectively. Come up with promotions geared specifically towards this demographic – coupons for restaurants, discounts on flights, deals on vitamins and other supplements. Be even smarter and hit them with discounts for activities that may be attractive to grandchildren, such as zoos and theme parks.
Offers like this can boost traffic to your site and transform business. The beauty of text and other mobile marketing campaigns is you can create different strategies for different demographics. Divide your contact lists according to age and other data, such as personal preferences and location. Devise promotions that are likely to appeal to those groups and the response rate will be much higher than for a generic, catch-all offer. Bear in mind too, that when it comes to those boomers, there's a lot more disposable income flying around - and they are much likelier to be loyal, long-term customers.
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