Social media marketing is quickly becoming one of the most important facets of a digital marketing strategy. With over 70% of Americans using some form of social media, marketing via this channel is a must. While most individuals may think social media is reserved for a younger crowd, that’s simply not the case any longer. According to a Pew Research Study, 40% of adults in the United States over 65 use at least one social media site. That means 40% of your target market is online, and you should be too.

Top Social Media Channels for Marketing to Seniors

1. Facebook

Facebook’s popularity among the baby boomer generation has grown quite a bit over the past 10 years. In fact, Seniors (Age 65 +) are the fastest-growing demographic on the website.  Building an effective social media marketing strategy on this channel will allow you to connect and engage with your target market.

2. Youtube

While some may not think of Youtube as a social media contender, it’s growth over the past decade proves it is a worthy adversary. Youtube is particularly popular among the senior community, with over 38% of the older generation engaging daily. According to Google, 1 in 3 seniors watch online videos to learn about a new product or service. Fine-tuning a social strategy on this channel can help increase awareness and educate your target market.

Developing a Social Media Strategy

Now that you know which social media platforms seniors engage with the most, it’s time to develop a social media strategy that is highly effective when marketing to seniors.  Here are some key elements that are essential when building out a strategy:

1. Set a Goal

What is it that you want to achieve through marketing on social media? This doesn’t need to be super specific, just enough to get you started on the framework of your campaign.  Examples of a social media goal might be to:

• Generate more leads
• Increase brand awareness
• Engage with a current customer base
• Increase traffic to your website or event
• Build your reputation

2. Know your Target Market

The good thing is you already know the age range of your target market, now you just need to dig a little deeper into the persona of your ideal audience.  What do they like to read or watch on TV? What are they interested in?  How do they engage in social media?  Check out our latest blog post, 11 Facts about Seniors to Fire Up your Insurance Marketing Results, for more insight into the behaviors of seniors on social media.

3. Create Quality Content

Just like cash is king in the investment world, content is king in the social media world.  Create and curate quality content that is both useful and meaningful to your target persona.  Here are a few examples of content that can be created or curated for social media:

• Article or Blog Post
• Image
• Infographic
• Video
• Important News & Updates
• Ebook

Whatever form of content you choose, the key is to make sure it is specifically tailored to your audience. The best content is one that adds value to your target audience.

4. Method of Delivery

Once you’ve figured out your goal, finely tuned your target market, and created quality content that adds value, it’s time to figure out how to deliver your content and on which channel.

For instance, on Facebook, you might want to run a sponsored post or ad to newly turned 65-year-olds that outlines the first steps of applying for a medicare supplement plan. On Youtube, you may want to create a short commercial introducing yourself, or an animated video that educates the audience on the importance of a medicare supplement plan. Content can be delivered in many ways. Test a few methods of delivery to find out what brings back the best results for you.

5. Track & Measure Results

One of the most important steps in creating an effective social media strategy is analyzing your results.  How do you know if your strategy is working?  Take a look at the data. Did your post receive a lot of clicks and engagement?  If not, look into the reason why it didn’t perform well.  Was the message tailored to the audience?  Could you have picked a better time of day to promote the post?  Asking yourself questions like the ones above can help determine how to improve and fine-tune your strategy for optimal results.

Here are some key metrics to consider when analyzing and tracking results:

• Audience Reach
• Shares
• Click thru rate
• Conversions

One thing to remember when developing an effective social media strategy is a great strategy is never set in stone.  Tracking your progress through trial and error will help improve your results over time.

Remain Compliant

Last but not least, as we discuss developing social strategies to market to seniors it is wise to remember the importance of remaining compliant per CMS guidelines. A few key points to remember, as we discussed in our previous blog post Change the Way You Sell Medicare with Social Media Branding:

1. If an individual follows your page, likes, or comments on an activity, Medicare brokers cannot take this as an “okay” to solicit Medicare to them.
2. Medicare brokers cannot solicit Medicare to individuals who have not expressed interest.

For more compliance information,  see Section 70: Unsolicited Electronic Communication Policy of the 2017 Medicare Marketing Guidelines (page 43-44).