Baby boomers are a force to be reckoned with, particularly for ophthalmic clinics. Not only are they old enough to develop cataracts themselves, but many of them are taking care of their aging parents. If you offer cataract surgery, you’re probably working with baby boomers in some capacity every day.
Who are the baby boomers?
Baby boomers are the generation of the American Dream, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and space exploration. People in this generation tend to be relationship-oriented and mission-driven.
Boomers as consumers
Baby boomers’ consumer habits have been studied for years now. With a population of about 74 million, boomers currently make up the largest generation – but not for long.
In 2016, a report by Visa projected that consumers over the age of 60 will continue to dominate U.S. consumer spending growth in the coming decades. In addition, the report found that boomers are retiring later than their parents and grandparents, and that they spend more money on travel and discretionary items than their predecessors.
Boomers on the internet
Believe it or not, baby boomers spend a lot of time on the internet.
- According to a study conducted by Google, boomers and seniors spend more time online than they do watching television.
- 82% of boomers who use the internet have at least one social media account.
- Boomers spend as much as 20 hours a week
- The leading platforms for baby boomers are Facebook and LinkedIn.
- More than half (65%) of boomers are active on Facebook.
If your practice doesn’t have a solid digital presence, these statistics are a real wake-up call.
If you’re marketing to boomers, we recommend having:
- A website that’s intuitive, easy-to-read, and accessible to people with low vision
- Online PDFs of clinic and procedure brochures
- Solid surgeon and clinic reviews
- Interactive and engaging social media pages
But a digital presence isn’t everything
To truly engage with the Baby Boomer population, we recommend balancing a strong digital presence with traditional marketing – for instance, direct mail works particularly well with this generation. By approaching your prospective patients from multiple directions, you increase your chances of attracting their interest.
Check out part 3: Gen X