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RISA L. ARIN

 
According to a recent national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, “Among 50-64 year-olds, the Internet has become the first place they turn to for health information, and they trust the information they find there.”

Online Boomers’ web usage, use of e-mail, and strong interest in researching health related topics offer health care and pharmaceutical companies a fantastic online marketing opportunity. Yet, success can be elusive. The three keys to success we have identified are: 1. Market Segmentation & Messaging; 2. Focus on Affinities & Activities; 3. Website Optimization.

1. Market Segmentation & Messaging. As companies look to reach the 50+ demographic regardless of medium, it is important to further segment the Boomer market and select appropriate online ad formats, placements, and messaging. Segmentation should begin by distinguishing between leading edge Boomers, born between 1946 and 1955, and trailing edge Boomers, born between 1956 and 1964. The next step is to segment by life stage (e.g. fully retired, widowed), a powerful driver behind these consumers’ buying decisions. Other factors to consider include income, region, urban/rural etc. One of the great benefits of the online medium is that it offers companies the opportunity to tailor messaging to sub-segments within the boomer market (e.g. interest in travel), or towards common threads that span the entire community (e.g. interest in health related issues).

2. Focus on Affinities & Activities. So where should companies spend their dollars? Reaching Boomers online starts with finding out how they are spending their time. Health care and pharmaceutical firms have a greater opportunity than many other industries, given that e-mail use and researching health information are the two dominating activities of mature web users. 82% of Boomers use the Internet to research health topics and over 92% use e-mail.

Banner Ad Design. Online Boomers’ researching affinity offers health care marketers the opportunity to place banner ads in a context that is relevant to their targeted consumers, a critical factor to successful marketing online. In addition to content relevance, however, in the online world, “mode” relevance is also important. For example, a banner placed on a non-interactive, text-based site should have a similar style. A “flashy” banner to grab attention would actually be viewed as annoying and distracting in this scenario.

Mix of media types is ideal. While static banners are building brand awareness and serving as reminder ads, interactive banners engage consumers and provide for an in depth understanding of the product. An example from Forrester really drives this point home. “MSN found a 40% higher subscription rate to its service among consumers exposed to both brand and response-oriented units”. A 40% increase. Now that’s a great result!

E-mail Marketing. With 92% of Boomers using e-mail as a communication medium today, e-mail marketing offers an affordable and effective means of reaching the mature market. Highly targeted (e.g., age, income, topics of interest, region), double opt in e-mail lists enable organizations to effectively reach micro-markets. Different than other media, with e-mail marketing, the subject line is “king”. With that said, there is a window of approximately 3-5 seconds to get audience attention, so employing a highly segmented list and an audience relevant subject line will maximize open rates.

Once their interest is piqued, Boomers value a credible benefits statement within a positive, visually pleasing e-mail design. Positive, “can do” messaging over “condition focused” seems to work best. Multi-generational or nostalgic imagery are often well received. We recently found that a benefits-based message versus a product approach performed 10 times better in an A/B campaign that our team launched.

Be clear on the call to action. Are the Boomers clicking through to a website landing page? If so, offer visitors a soft landing. Or are they to call today? We recommend giving Boomers options on how to reach a company. Regardless of available communication channels, a clear call to action is a key content element.

3. Website Optimization. Get that landing page ready! We see many companies spending advertising dollars driving traffic to a website, but failing to see the expected results. Well, they are not alone. Most campaigns fail to give the Boomer a comfortable transition to the on-site presence from both a messaging and usability perspective. We realize the health care industry has the challenge of designing websites that must support multiple audiences, including individuals, caregivers, and often others as well. However, not supporting multiple user scenarios will lessen the impact of a marketing investment.

And once we get the Boomers, how do we keep them? A recent website usability research report indicated that the average user can’t find the information they’re seeking approximately 60% of the time, and that 28% of website transactions result in consumer failure and frustration. An even larger concern from a marketing perspective, is that 35% of people who experience problems on a site leave for a competitor’s site. Couple these usability issues with the fact that websites, in general, are twice as hard for mature adults to use, launching a website that has been designed specifically to support Boomers becomes critical.

The success of a site targeting online Boomers is often driven by the information architecture and visual design. Design elements to be considered include the appropriate use of fonts, contrast, white spacing and the implementation and integration of animations. Companies targeting Boomers, seniors, and consumers with physical limitations might also want to consider designing to Section 508 Accessibility standards.

The Payoff. Planning for targeting Boomers may take a bit longer, and the short term investment may be more than anticipated, but the effort will have a positive payoff. Creating a targeted online presence that is optimized to support mature adults increases customer satisfaction, and improves the odds of creating a long-term relationship between Boomers and your brand.

Risa Arin is the founder and President of SmartSolutionPartners, a strategic marketing and design firm that helps companies market their products and services to the baby boomer market. She may be contacted at risa.arin@sspdirect.com or by visiting www.smartsolutionpartners.com.