Boomer Stratagems eGuideBook - Tools, Technologies & Techniques

Boomer Authority™ Association
   Boomer|StrataGEMS™
Tools | Technologies | Techniques
The Most Comprehensive

eGuidebook & Resource Listing
for Using Social Media
and Digital Technology to
Engage with Baby Boomers and Seniors
Researched, Written and Edited by the Boomer Authority™ Association

Table of Contents
Message from the Publisher 5
Introduction
   Before How Comes Why: A special perspective by Brent Green, 6
author of the influential Boomer business book “Generation Reinvention”
Chapter l 9
   In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards
 Social Media in Plain English: A StrataGEMS Video Tutorial
Chapter ll 10
   Social Media Boomer Engagement Tools
 15 Best Practices for Engaging Boomers and Seniors in Today’s New Digital Ecosystem 11
 What are the Rules of Engaging Boomers and Seniors?
 A comprehensive URL listing of where the Boomers and Seniors
are on Facebook, Eons, LinkedIn, and Twitter
 Facebook 13
 Twitter
 Eons 17
 Advice StataGEMS ─
Don’t Allow Your Concerns about Social Media Get the Best of You
 LinkedIn 18
 Using Ad Networks to Reach Baby Boomers and Seniors 22
 Survey Results: Baby Boomers are Flocking to Social Media - Is Your Brand? 24
 Advice StrataGEMS ──
 Editor’s Best Top Five Video Collection on Boomer and Senior Marketing
 A Model for Meaningful Online Engagement 27
 The Public Relations Dashboard for Boomer and Senior Marketers 28
 Using Talk Radio to Engage with Boomers and Older Adults 29 1

 Vibrant Nation: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think, Do & Buy 33
 Be Mindful Of Life Stages 38
 Chart ── The Value Chain: Mature Consumer Model 39
 Don't Let The Age Of Your Markets Determine Your Approach: The Costs Can Be Significant! 40
 Becoming an Information Sherpa 44
 Reaching Boomers through Social Media: Six Tips for Getting Started 50
 So You Want a Revolution? Target Boomers on the Internet 57
 Special Research Report: 62

Silver, Social Surfers
New Research on the Attitudes of Baby Boomers & Beyond Toward Social Media
Chapter lll 69
   Social Media Technologies
 Boomer-centric Technology ── The BA|Opinion Exchange™ 70
 SilverAudit™ Technology ─ Why ‘Age-Friendly’ is the New Mantra for Business 73
 A comprehensive URL listing of state-of-the-art technologies to effectively and efficiently

reach your audience
 Twitter Productivity Tools 77

 Listening and Observation Tools
 Why URL Shorteners are Useful 80
 Advice StrataGEM ── Listen | Learn |Contribute
Chapter lV 82
   Social Media Techniques for Engaging Baby Boomers and Seniors
 How-to Technology Briefs
 The Social Media Style Guide for Mature Marketers ──
Steps You Need to Take to Develop a Brand Persona
that Resonates with an Older Generation
2
Chapter V 86
   The Ultimate Mature Marketers Resource Directory
 Trade & Professional Associations
 Conferences, Expos & Summits 88
 Social Media Links Library 91
 Top Seven Books on Marketing and Selling to Boomers and Seniors 92
 Top Ten Books on Social Media Marketing 93
 Thought Leader Contributors to Boomer|StrataGEMS™ 95
Jim Gilmartin ─ Coming of Age
Brent Green ─ Brent Green & Associates
Lori Bitter ─ Continuum Crew
Kim Walker ─ Silver Group
Adriane Berg ─ Generation Bold
Stephen Reily ─ Vibrant Nation
Carol Orsborn ─ Vibrant Nation
Todd Harff ─ Creating Results
Erin Read Ruddick ─ Creating Results
Tom Mann ─ TR Mann Consulting
 About Boomer Authority™ Association 99
Endnotes 101
 Be an Advice StrataGEMS Thought Leader
 Engage! Add a Group, Discussion Forum or Social Network
 Add a Book to the Collection
 The Boomer|StrataGEMS™ Blog
3
Publisher
Martin Diano
CEO
Editor
Michelle Rosenbaum
Researcher
Annette Diano
StrataGEM
Mature Market Contributors
Lori Bitter
President
Stratagem
Continuum Crew ─ noun
Jim Gilmartin a marketing tactic by which some competitive advantage

President is intended to be obtained
Coming of Age
Brent Green
Principal
Brent Green & Associates
Kim Walker
CEO
Silver Group
Adriane Berg
CEO & Founder
Generation Bold
Tom Mann
Cofounder & Managing Partner
TR Mann Consulting
Stephen Reily
CEO
Vibrant Nation
Carol Orsborn
VP
Vibrant Nation
Todd Harff
   Boomer|StrataGEMS™ ── Vol. 1 Edition lV
President
Published by Boomer Authority™ Association
Creating Results
Copyright © December 2010 | All Rights Reserved
Erin Read Ruddick
Director – Client Services
Creating Results
4
Message from the Publisher
Marketers are faced with a new and unstoppable trend: people using social media to
discuss products, services, companies, brands, and people. Boomers and Seniors, in
particular, want to write their own reviews, find their own deals ── and share what they
write and find with as many people as possible. This trend is global, becoming more
pervasive, and affects everyone.
When consumers you’ve never met are rating your brand, website or what you wrote
about on a blog in social media forums with which you do not have a presence or
influence, your brand is vulnerable. This eGuidebook helps explain how to convert a
potential threat into an opportunity.
How do you effectively engage this largely affluent and savvy demographic? There are
rules of engagement, to be sure, but they are constantly changing, as are the tools,
technologies and techniques you employ.
The objective of the Boomer|StrataGEMS™ eGuidebook and Resource Listing is to take a

snapshot of the Boomer and Senior space from two important perspectives: marketing
and social media. To help us in what seemed early-on a daunting task, we asked nine
leading Thought Leaders from Boomer Authority™ Association to contribute their best
thinking on these two topics as it relates to their respective areas of expertise. And for
that we are most grateful.
By no means is the eGuidebook the definitive say in all things pertaining marketing and
social media. Far from it! If we listed every tool, talked about every technology and
discussed all the techniques, well, it would be an impossible task to undertake. What we
have published, though, is an opportunity to make you to think about where you are now
and where you want to be in the future with regard to the Boomer and Senior
marketplace.
To the extent that it is, the eGuidebook is a work in process, and we will continually add,
delete, and modify its contents. In the coming months we will closely monitor the market
and the technologies, and keep you abreast through periodic updates.
Use this eGuidebook to help create your competitive advantage.
Respectfully,
Martin Diano ── CEO

── Introduction ──
5
── Introduction ──
Before How Comes Why
The Internet provides Boomers with the most potent medium in history to effect change,
nearby and far away. Social networks are no longer merely local and temporal but rather global
and eternal. We have daily opportunities to influence hundreds, thousands or even millions
with a single Tweet, Facebook post, or Linked-In update. One brilliant blog article can transform
nations.
The power of these 21st century technologies became clearer to me when watching an
extraordinary YouTube video entitled “Where the hell is Matt?” Matt Harding’s contemporary
story reminds me of a younger version of me — full of adventure and idealism during college.
Like many of us back then, he is a young iconoclast stubbornly intent on making the world
better while having a blast doing it.
Matt traveled to 42 countries in 14 months to create a 4-minute, 30-second video

showcasing his silly dance. Through the social network he enlisted thousands of strangers to
silly-dance with him. Through YouTube he has attracted over 33 million viewers. That’s over 33
million impressions of an uplifting metaphor: a message underscoring we’re fundamentally all
the same regardless of nation, race or culture. That’s a Boomer generation coming-of-age
theme, flung into hyperspace with a social networking tool that didn’t exist before February
2005.
Boomers are no longer swarming college campuses where many staked their idealistic
claims on the future. We’ve grown up and apart, geographically and mentally. Author David B.
Wolfe has written about the inexorable influence of aging on adult psychological development.
As we age we become more “individuated, introspective and autonomous.” Intrinsic
connections to generational peers become misty and diffuse.
This has all begun to transform since Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in
1989 while working for the European Particle Physics Laboratory. Burgeoning online social
networks that have since emerged create new pathways into generational consciousness. The
Internet allows legions to reach across geographic boundaries, to find like-minded
contemporaries, and to discover universal life themes and passions.
Online social networks offer rich potential for connecting, learning, engaging, and changing
the status quo, much as our colleges offered us in youth. The Internet creates the campus
experience for us today, a mélange teaming with ideas, insights and camaraderie.
I submit that one critical “why” of building worldwide social networks is to come together,
right now. Online and interconnected we can tackle challenges of shared concern: ageism; age
discrimination in the workplace; third-age careers; availability of affordable healthcare; viability 6
of social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare; and, ultimately, legacies of a
generation, whether environmental, technological, or social. We can focus attention on public

education for our grandchildren, or saner immigration policies, or more funding for research
into “orphan diseases.” We can nurture vanishing art forms such as quilt making or angler’s fly
tying. We can raise money to do all this.
It’s through our expanding online networks that we can debate the issues we once
deliberated late-at-night in dorm rooms throughout the nation’s college campuses. We can find
closeness with contemporaries we’ll never meet face-to-face. We can remain intimate and
current with far-flung children and grandchildren and use the network to assure
intergenerational transfer of our values. We can organize our thoughts and plan actions
through distributed teams. We can link, tweet, and write articulate blog arguments to improve
“collective mentalities” around the worth of elders.
We can even bring fame to new artists and iconoclasts of the generation who often herald
possibilities before change takes hold in mainstream beliefs and values. Susan Boyle showed us
one way in 2009.
Susan, age 48, a church volunteer from lackluster Blackburn, Scotland, became an instant
celebrity. The YouTube video of her shocking performance on “Britain’s Got Talent,” the UK
version of “American Idol,” has received tens of millions of views. According to Visible
Measures, a company that computes viewings of Internet videos, her catalog of on-online clips
has been watched over 310 million times.
But trouncing Simon Cowell, the cynical talent judge, is not the end of this Boomer
woman’s remarkable accomplishments. Her debut CD, “I Dreamed a Dream,” sold over 700,000
copies in the United States in one week, becoming the fastest-selling album in British history,
soaring to the number one sales position in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia. Susan
has shattered any arguments that emerging musical talent belongs only to youth. In terms of
sales, she smashed the best debut album of The Beatles.
We can still change the world with our creative gifts, making it better, fairer, more
inclusive. We can use these networks to connect with many more peers than possible during
our college years. We can live beyond our time, influencing social and political evolution long
into the future. We can insure that our forebears move closer to realizing our ideals of peaceful
coexistence, a healthy planet … a world less dominated by human suffering.
Graham Nash, the British member of classic rock supergroup, Crosby, Stills & Nash, wrote a
politically charged song about the chaotic 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Regardless of the song’s original context, his lyrics ring true through decades:
Though your brother's bound and gagged

And they’ve chained him to a chair
Won’t you please come to Chicago
Just to sing
In a land that’s known as freedom
How can such a thing be fair
7
Won't you please come to Chicago
For the help we can bring
We can change the world –

Re-arrange the world…
Today we share a world less dominated by traditional media, a world connected through
fiber-optics and satellites, a world shrinking into desktop computer monitors displaying media
channels born of this century: Twitter, Linked-In, Facebook, MySpace, Typepad, YouTube,
Blogger — websites conceived to draw us together, to engage our passions, to effect how we
see ourselves and believe in our possibilities.
And now, more than ever, we have a unique generational challenge to be the change, to
reengage with more mature purpose, to re-arrange the world. We have the tools and freedom
like we’ve never had them before.
Those tools and how to leverage them are now before you in this eGuidebook. The rest is
up to us.
──Brent Green
8
Chapter l
   In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards
In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards
“Boomers and In ever increasing numbers Baby Boomers are utilizing social media to
Seniors are not only communicate with family and friends, collaborate in teams, and
searching for cooperate with anyone they choose anywhere, anytime. Social media
guidance, helps Baby Boomers spark conversations, solve problems and discover
comparisons, and new solutions.
experiences through
Google, Bing, and
Empowered and emboldened, this affluent demographic of 78 million in
Yahoo, they are also
becoming the U.S. has a spending power of $3 trillion annually and controls 70% of
increasingly social in the U.S. wealth. Boomers built our knowledge era and enjoy discussing
every step of a products and companies, writing their own reviews, and finding and
decision-making closing their own deals.
process.”
Thus, one of the most coveted answers in Social Media is whether or not
engagement in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Eons directly
correlates to customer acquisition, retention, and advocacy. Before you can
earn customers however, you have to recognize that at any given time, there
are also prospects. And, prospects require information and confidence-building
in order to make decisions, hopefully in your favor. The coveted answer to the
question lies in social engagement ── conversation.
In Chapter ll, we discuss the rules of engagement and provide a comprehensive

listing of Boomer-specific networks ── communities, groups, and social
outposts.
Boomers and Seniors are not only searching for guidance, comparisons, and
experiences through Google, Bing, and Yahoo, they are also becoming
increasingly social in every step of a decision-making process. If brands do not
establish a presence where they socialize, explore, and evaluate products and
services ── new opportunities will go unfulfilled.
“Creating a presence If you not part of the decision making process, you are AWOL from final 9
in social networks is purchasing decision.
mandatory, but it’s

also not enough.” From Fans and Followers to Customers and Advocates
To connect with prospects online, you must be where they’re already active. In
Chapter lll you will find listings to where 50+ Baby Boomers are most active. It is
not a complete list, as new social outposts are created daily, but it is
comprehensive.
Does engagement actually lead to purchases?

From the vast amount of studies done on the subject, the answer is a
resounding yes. Facebook fans and Twitter followers indicated that they are
more likely to buy since connecting online. With 450 million users on Facebook
and over 100 million registered users on Twitter, the potential is not only great,
it’s exponential.
Social Media is a Tool for Customers and Prospects

Creating a presence in social networks is mandatory, but it’s also not enough.
Actively and thoughtfully engaging consumers in social networks is quickly
becoming an expectation.
The technologies and techniques you use to engage Boomers and Seniors will
equally import and the tools available to you. In Chapters lV and V you will find
the most popular, time-tested technologies in use today and the most effective
techniques for engagement. In Chapter Vl, we have compiled listings of
important professional resources.
Those brands that focus on prospects and customers through active and
repeated social engagement will open new doors that increase brand
awareness and revenue through word of mouth. But perhaps more importantly,
organizations will also earn expanded relevance in the age of a new and
powerful medium.
A StrataGEM Video Tutorial To give you a basic understanding of social media

marketing we have this video for you to view. Over 35
videos were researched and reviewed before deciding to
feature “Social Media in Plain English” to open this
chapter. The video’s popularity is evidenced by having
over 650,000 downloads. Produced by Common Craft, it
provides an entertaining and easy-to-understand
evolution of social media. Click here to view the video.
Subscribe to the Boomer|StrataGEMS™ blog! Stay
current on the latest tools and techniques being
employed in Boomer and Senior marketing. Keep abreast
of the newest technologies being introduced in social
media marketing. Subscribe here.
10
Chapter ll
   Social Media Boomer Engagement Tools
15 Best Practices for Engaging Boomers and Seniors

in Today’s New Digital Ecosystem
“Discover all An amazing convergence is happening in mature marketing today: the growth
relevant Boomer of the Baby Boomer population and the growth of digital media. Baby Boomers
and Senior increasingly use the Internet to keep in touch with family and friends, anywhere
communities of in the world. They search for product information. They compare prices, print
interest and coupons, and shop online.
observe the
choices, Thus, as the social web continues to rapidly evolve, it is prompting us to
challenges, establish policies, best practices, and guidelines on how we should engage
impressions, and Boomers and Seniors in online conversation. But we also need to define the
wants of the “rules of engagement.” How will you encourage thoughtful and meaningful
people within interaction as it benefits your business, brand, customers, peers, and prospects
each network.” at every touch point?
Here are 15 best practices to help you craft a practical set of rules as you
engage with Baby Boomers and Seniors in the new digital ecosystem:
1. Discover all relevant Boomer and Senior communities of interest and
observe the choices, challenges, impressions, and wants of the people
within each network (In part, the objective of Boomer StrataGEMS™ is
11
to present and comprehensive community listing, including links to each
“Give something site.)

back! Reciprocate 2. Actively participate where your presence is most advantageous, not just
and recognize anywhere and everywhere. (Do you really want to be on MySpace, when
noteworthy conversing with people on Eons or Facebook is more productive?)
contributions…” 3. Determine the identity, character, and personality of your brand and
match it to the persona of the individuals you want to converse with
online
4. Establish a point of contact who is ultimately responsible for identifying
and responding to all things that can affect brand perception
5. As in customer service, representatives require training to learn how to
proactively and reactively respond across multiple scenarios. Don’t just
put the person who is most familiar with social networking in front of
your brand
6. Embody the attributes you wish to portray and instill in Boomers and
Seniors. Operate by a self-imposed code of conduct
7. Observe the behavioral cultures within each online community and
group and adjust your outreach accordingly
8. Become a true participant in each social media outpost you wish to
reside. Move beyond marketing and sales pitches. Provide meaningful
value- added dialogue.
9. Don’t speak to audiences through canned messages! Contribute value,
insight and direction through each engagement
10. Be proactive. Don’t just listen and placate! Be viewed as a “Thought
Leader”
11. Consistently create, contribute, and reinforce your brand’s value
proposition
12. Earn community connections through collaboration and empower
advocacy
13. Don’t get lost in translation. Ensure your communication and intent is
clear and that your involvement maps to the objectives you have
created for your brand
14. Establish and nurture beneficial relationships online and in the real
world as long as doing so is important to the growth of your business. Be
wary of time wasters.
15. Give something back! Reciprocate and recognize noteworthy
contributions from participants in your communities
12
Facebook is a social network service and website launched in February 2004. As of July 2010
Facebook has more than 500 million active users, which is about one person for every fourteen
in the world. Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends and exchange
messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users
may join common interest user groups, organized by workplace, school, or college, or other
characteristics. The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to
students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the
intention of helping students to get to know each other better. Facebook allows anyone who
declares themselves to be at least 13 years old to become a registered user of the website.
Publisher’s note: The groups listed below are the most popular based on membership, and not
intended to be a complete list. There are scores of relevant groups you can match to your
specific profession by using the Facebook search tool. If you identify a site you believe
particularity appropriate for inclusion in a future edition of Boomer|StrataGEMS™, you are
encourage to submit the group’s URL.
Researcher’s note: The number of members of each group was as of December 2010 as likely
to be different. Each group’s URL was as active as of the publication date.
Baby Boomer Nexus
Official Group Description: Baby Boomer Nexus has one fundamental value proposition: To share
our collective experiences to the benefit of all the group's members.
Whether it's advice on where to obtain a better healthcare plan to recommendation of a

retirement community to help with a grandparenting issue to career direction after retirement,
use the Baby Boomer Nexus to help other group members and to gain a perspective from
someone else.
Number of Members: 1450

The Baby Boomers Life
Official Group Description: This group will focus on promoting your well-being, happiness,
security, and lot in life. Basically...any type of info, subject, topic, post, discussion, etc. that will
improve the betterment of a person or people and abide by Facebook rules is encouraged, sought
after, and welcomed in this group.
No. of Members: 124

Baby Boomers Rock
Official Group Description: Are you a baby boomer or just a fan? Either way, this is a great place
to connect with other like-minded people. Enjoy!
No. of Members: 600+ Likes
13
1
Baby Boomers Music
Official Description: A site for Baby Boomer music lovers.
No. of members: 253
Baby Boomers Marketing
Official Description: Baby Boomers Marketing will be providing the information for boomers to
unlock the internet.
No. of Members: 523
Baby Boomers Traveling
Official Group Description: News & information about the enormous group of people born
between 1946 and 1964: Baby Boomers! Much will deal with travel but also other issues of
interest to this group.
Boomer Places
Official Group Description:

Boomers resources for retirement, hobbies, news, having fun, health, travel, music, 55
communities and baby boomer social networking. Hope you will click "Like" next to our name at
top of this page.
No. of Members: 684
My Generation 'BABY BOOMERS' Station

Official Group Description: BABY BOOMERS!!! we are the generation running the world at present
..but this site is aimed at the music of that era 60's and 70's ONLY
Its fast becoming one of the internets best MUSIC streams for BABY BOOMERS
No. of Members: 841
Groovy Baby Boomers — born between 1946 and 1964
Official Group Description: Baby boomers — make up 28% of the U.S. population, and the oldest
boomers begin turning 64 on Jan. 1. As a generation, boomers are better educated and are
expected to live longer than any other generation, demographers say.
Boomers Rule
Official Group Description: Baby Boomers; people interested in the Baby Boom generation;
nostalgia lovers; folks interested in classic rock, classic movies, old TV shows. Check out the recent
wall postings.
14
LLVVA BABY BOOMERS
Official Group Description: Baby boomers are those born 1954-1965 from the earlier Baby
Boomers a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom. Baby
Boomer Statistics
No. of Members: 165
Art Jonak and Dakota Rea's-Gen Y: The New Baby Boomers in Network Marketing
Official Group Description: Baby Boomers in Network Marketing
No. of Members: 449
Baby Boomers and Facebook
Official Group Description: I started on Facebook in April of 2008 and now have close to 2,000
friends. Many have become mentors and people that I really have enjoyed getting to know in this
great arena called social networking. It hasn't been easy and if I had to do it over I would take the
time to organize my friends in categories so they would be easier to find. And, recently I had to
almost learn Facebook all over again with the "new" Facebook. Fortunately, I have a friend that is
the guru on the "new" Facebook....
No. of Members: 221
Retirement Media
Official Group Description: Do not just retire; Be an ageless explorer, positive thinker, traveler and
life long learner.
No. of Members: 1060
Advice StrataGEM ── Dedicate the Time Necessary to Converse on the

Social Web
We’re all very busy and our to-do list is large and ever looming. Because
time is a huge concern, think about social media marketing as an
opportunity cost. Will your investment in identifying and connecting with
prospects, customers, and influencers outperform your other, more
traditional marketing activities? For most organizations, the answer is
yes. So set aside quality time for strategic experimentation ── and
engage! With the fundamental premise of social media being
engagement, you get out of it, what you invest.
15
Twitter is a social network, owned and operated by Twitter Inc., which offers a social
networking and microblogging service, enabling its users to send and read other users'
messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the
user's profile page. Tweets are publicly visible by default, however senders can restrict message
delivery to their friends list. Users may subscribe to other users' tweets—this is known as
following and subscribers are known as followers.
All users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, compatible external applications
(such as for smartphones), or by Short Message Service (SMS) available in certain countries.
While the service is free, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees.
Publisher’s note: The groups listed below are the most popular and not intended to be a
complete list. There are additional relevant groups you can match to your specific interest by
using the search tool. If you identify a group you believe particularity appropriate for inclusion
in a future edition of Boomer|StrataGEMS™, you are encourage to submit the group’s URL.
Baby Boomers
We all need to stay healthy and feeling young, especially the "boomers"
Our group is here to promote just that!
Boomers for Social Change

This twibe is for those who believe that boomers are not a silver tsunami
but a silver mine, who can be a solution to community problems.
16
Eons ── Eons.com is the online community for “BOOMers,” those of

us born between 1946 and 1964 and beyond, who want to learn and do
more to make the most of every stage of life. Our community is the place
for you to explore your passions and interests, keep in touch with friends
and family, connect with interesting people to share life experiences, and
most of all—have fun!
At eons.com you can:
 express yourself through your Profile and share your life—with

privacy settings that keep you in charge;
 join Groups around your passions and interests or start your own;
 share photos and videos with friends and family;
 play games to build your brain and challenge others;
 laugh out loud and have fun with your Eons friends every day!
Once you become an Eons member, you’ll find like-minded people all over
the site, and the Eons Team is eager to answer your questions, respond to
your comments and help you get started.
17
Advice StrataGEM ──
Don’t Allow Your Concerns about Social Media Get the Best of You
Many organizations believe that social media gives people a chance to criticize
their brand, fairly or unfairly. That’s a correct assumption. It happens every day.
But shunning social media doesn’t mean their opinions will never see the light of
day. Your brand is at the mercy of millions of Boomers and Seniors who use social
media everyday to share their experiences. You are impelled to take an active
role and contribute to the stature and perception of your brand. Do not
participate at your own peril.
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and

launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. As of 2 November 2010,
LinkedIn had more than 80 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and
territories worldwide. The site is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and
Spanish. Quantcast reports Linkedin has 21.4 million monthly unique U.S. visitors and 47.6
million globally.
Publisher’s note: The groups listed below are the most popular based on LinkedIn membership,
and not intended to be a complete list. There are scores of relevant groups you can match to
your specific profession by using the LinkedIn search tool. If you identify a site you believe
particularity appropriate for inclusion in a future edition of Boomer|StrataGEMS™, you are
encourage to submit the group’s URL.
Researcher’s note: The number of members of each group was as of December 2010 as likely
to be different. The URL was as active as of publication date.
Experts on Seniors
We invite experts in senior care, elder law, travel, real estate, other services and
products for baby boomers and older generations to GROW with us and service
our clients.
1,035 members
Retiring Baby Boomers Latin America

This group is for Boomers, Retirees, Investors, Real Estate Professionals and
Developers who seek to retire, build or relocate in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama,
Nicaragua and all of Latin America
541 members
VIP Club
Networking for Job Seekers over 50, hosted by Joe Turner, the "Job Search Guy".
For Seasoned or Mature Workers, Baby Boomers, "Older" Workers, Wise,
Experienced, Employable, however you want to define yourself - Connect with
others to get tips to compete in today's tough economy.
513 members
18
18 Boomer Nation
A group for Baby Boomers. A social place to meet other boomers where you can
share advice, knowledge, interests, photos, videos or just have fun. Visit our
group home site at www.yourboomernation.ning.com Join Us!
442 members
Boomers Abroad
This group is dedicated to real estate professionals who have a primary focus on
working with Seniors and Baby Boomers who are looking to retire, relocate and
downsize into smaller home or assisted living.
251 members
Baby Boomers and Healthcare

The purpose of this group is to share news, ideas, upcoming trends and to pose
questions about baby boomers and healthcare.
161 members
National Active Retirement Association (NARA)

The National Active Retirement Association is dedicated to assisting marketers,
builders, developers, executives, towns and institutions learn more about better
serving and doing more business with the exploding 55+ age segment as 78
million baby boomers age rapidly into their 60s.
154 members
Boomers! Act2
Boomers! Act2 is focused on baby boomers who find themselves in career
transition.
104 members
Silverback Sellers
America is graying as the Baby Boomers roar into geezerhood. We deal with
problems specific to the experienced salesperson who may not have the energy
enjoyed in his or her youth. Selling at high levels and having a ball doing it are
our primary objectives.
64 members
Baby Boomers & SOCIAL SECURITY

The purpose of this group is to share news, ideas, Strategies and to pose
questions about baby boomers and The Social Security System.
41 members
ActiveOver50
ActiveOver50 is an informational resource to help baby boomers and older
No image
adults lead longer, healthier and more active lives.
41 members
Alzheimer's Association San Diego/Imperial Chapter
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. One
in eight Baby Boomers will be diagnosed with the disease in the coming years
and there is no cure. We need everyone's help to spread the word and join the
fight to cure Alzheimer's.
37 members
19
Mature Market Experts

Investors, bankers, real estate developers, consumer goods companies, health
care professionals, journalists and marketing experts. If you serve, market to, or
write about people who are 50+, this is the group for you. For inclusion, please
email explaining your mature market expertise.
758 members
Mature Marketing
The ‘Mature Thinking ‘ process can help you get under the skin of 50+
consumers, enabling you to create campaigns that work. This group has been
created to highlight the latest issues and news for the Mature Market.
116 members
Age Tek
The Purpose of Age Tek Alliance is:
1. To promote the awareness, benefits and value of member products and services
2. To assist in the advancement of member companies and individual members
Methods:
→ By facilitating innovation through professional development, education and
standardization of products and services
→By creating a vital and expanding aging technology community Beliefs:
that by encouraging cooperation between members the aging technology industry
will advance as a whole
→That by pursuing development of “best practices” and a program of continual
improvement, members will be more successful
225 members: 225
About55 is a mid-life focused community that empowers its members to move

forward via self-renewal, self-growth and celebration.
12 members
The Active Aging Community Center (AACC) is an online community for, about, and
by researchers and practitioners in the active aging field. The AACC helps researchers
and practitioners to further their work and facilitate the sharing and discussion of
active aging issues. The ultimate goal is to help professionals advance their study of
active aging and enhance the delivery of services to older adults. News and
information come from researchers and practitioners from around the world, and
anyone in the field is invited to contribute information and participate in discussions.
8 Tips to Get More Out of

LinkedIn
Curated from the StrataGEMS Marketing Library
20
Advice StrataGEM ──
Create an Attractive and Ubiquitous Brand Presence
Your brand presence online is far more valuable than you may realize.
While you may think you should focus on your website, your social-media
presence also represents you, your brand and what your value
proposition. The ability to showcase your products and services to attract
customers and spark conversation is decidedly greater on social
networking communities than on your own website/blog. Connecting the
virtual dots between social networks, websites, and the real world is now
as important as the products/services you offer.
21
Using Ad Networks and Ad Representatives to Reach Baby Boomers and Seniors
There are hundreds of ad networks and ad rep firms, but there a few that specialize in reaching
Baby Boomers and Seniors. Below are five organizations which do the best job of reaching the
50+ demographic.
Burst Media is an online media and technology company

founded in 1995, Burst Media is a leading seller of
vertically targeted audiences found in the long tail of the
Internet. By working together with web publishers and
advertisers, the company leverages the value of rich long
tail content to enable brands to reach loyal, highly
segmented audiences in a brand-safe and quality-assured
environment.
Eons.com, launched in 2006, offers a world of opportunity

for a generation constantly seeking to do more, be more,
and change the world around them. Millions of active
Baby Boomers – including celebrities, politicians,
musicians and authors – have come to online community,
eons.com, to discuss their interests in member-led groups,
keep in touch with friends, connect with interesting
people to share life experiences, and most of all—have
fun!
The propensity for this demographic to engage in

meaningful discussion means brands have a unique
opportunity to build relationships and become part of the
conversation. Eons' 800,000+ members are also using Eons
proprietary platform to play Eons brain games, send Eons
gifts, and more.
22
i Me d i a Sa l e sTe a m i s a co ll a bo ra tio n o f se n io r
o n l in e a d sa l e s p ro fe ssi o n a l s w i th a n a ve ra ge
o f 10 ye a rs se l l i n g o nl i n e me di a . We w o rk a s
th e 'sa l e s te a m' for top b ra nd web p ro p erti e s.
A s th e ad sa le s te a m w e wo rk se aml e ssl y w i th
th e ad op s te a ms to pro vid e so l id b ran d in g an d
p e rfo rman ce so l u ti o n s for ad ve rtise rs a n d
me d i a bu ye rs. No t a n e two rk, but ra th e r th e
l a rge st d i re c t sou rce to re a ch a bo o me r
a u d ie n ce (a ge 45+ ). O u r au d i en ce i s
co mfo rta b l e tra n sa cti n g o nl i ne ; th e y b ro w se
th e ne t w i th the i r cred i t ca rd s rea d y, the y a r e
62% fe ma l e a nd 40% Ma l e a ge 45+ . We re a ch
o ve r 28 MM mo n th l y u n iq u e s. O ur fl a gsh i p
p ro pe rti e s , An ce stry S i te s a nd Eon s B oo m
Me d i a a re # 1 i n th e i r ca te go ry. We a l so h e l p
a d ve rti se rs re a ch Con se rva ti ve Mo ms a nd
S p o rts Da d s w i th a co n si ste n t fo cu s th e "fi t".
Navigate Boomer Media is comprised of experienced Baby
Boomer publishers and marketers that decided it was time
Boomer publishers were represented by a firm that both
understood the Boomer generation and focused on them
exclusively. Navigate Boomer Media, LLC, is based in Santa
Monica, California, and is the largest U.S. Baby Boomer
online media rep firm for Boomer oriented rich content
publishers of:
ZoomerMedia Limited, a publicly traded company , is
Canada’s largest Zoomer-focused media company.
ZoomerMedia caters exclusively to the interests of
Canada’s 14.5 million Zoomers. It features content focused
on Health, Travel, Money, Lifestyle, Advocacy, Benefits,
Community, Relationships, Events, and more. It’s portfolio
of media includes
 Zoomer Magazine
 Radio & Television
 Websites & E-Newsletters
 Conferences & Events
ZoomerMedia offers a wide range of customized solutions
 Creative media solutions

 Branding, promotional and transactional
opportunities
 Low-cost testing and development opportunities
 Effective market research capabilities 23
 Online polling services with real-time results
2010 Survey on Targeting Boomers and Beyond

with Social Media, Advertising & Marketing
.
.
“We see social Title of Survey: Baby Boomers are Flocking to Social Media - Is Your
media as an Brand?
integral part of
the mix and are
In 2010, Boomer Authority™ Association created a national poll to find
making every
out how marketers and brands are using Facebook, My Space, Twitter,
effort to stay
Boomer-centric social communities, to engage baby boomers.
abreast of new
..
developments in
Empowered and emboldened, this largely affluent demographic of 78
this area.”
million in the U.S. ─ with spending power of $3 trillion annually and
controlling 70% of the U.S. wealth ─ is its own economic force. Boomers
built our Knowledge Era and enjoy discussing products and companies,
writing their own reviews, and finding and closing their own deals.
.
Sample Base
The survey was conducted over a three week period March 2010. There
were over 100 responses from U.S. marketers and agency executives in
decision making roles.
.
Findings
The Boomer consumer has made it to the planning and budgeting process.
We know that the top industries boomers consume are health care, travel
and financial services. Our poll began with asking, What is the best way to
engage boomers with social media?. The best way marketers are engaging
boomers in social media right now is clear with the use of Twitter being
number one.
.
An overwhelming 84% of marketers confirmed they are targeting boomers
in their communications and over 52% agreed their social media budgets
have increased for 2010. Supporting recent media articles the survey
reflects growth shift in budgets of over 20% by 41% of the respondents to
digital media. The IAB standard ad size that works the best for online
advertising is the 300 x 250 said 40% of the group.
.
1. We utilize social media to engage baby boomers thru: 24
Twitter - 65.8%
Facebook - Fan Page 61.8%

Email marketing - 47.4 %
Company blog - 46.1%
Boomer-targeted websites - 42.1%
Facebook – Group 39.5%
Boomer bloggers - 30.3%
Boomer-centric social networking communities - 26.3%
You Tube - 26.3%
Expos - 9.2%
My Space - 5.3%
.
2. Do you currently target 45-65 year olds in your marketing efforts or
media buys?
Yes 84.4%
No 7.8%
Marketing to this demographic is under serious consideration 7.8%
.
3. Our social media marketing budget in 2010 vs. 2009
Increased - 51.9%
Decreased - 9.1%7
Remained the same - 39.0%
.
4. What portion of your traditional advertising budget are you shifting to
digital media this year?
Less Than 10% 29.4%
More than 10% - 22.1%
More than 15% - 7.4%
More than 20% - 41.2%
.
5. Which size digital ad works best for you (in pixels)?
Leaderboard -728x90 - 20.0%
Medium Rectangle - 300x250 - 40.0%
Skyscaper - 160x60 - 15.6%
Rectangle - 180x150 - 24.4
.
Selected Survey Comments with Dates and Time noted:
> Social media will play a major role in future marketing.
> We see social media as an integral part of the mix and are making every
effort to stay abreast of new developments in this area.
> It will continue to grow.
> We believe it will only increase annually - as access becomes more user
friendly.
> We believe it's the powerful, efficient and also cost efficient way to reach
baby boomers.
> It's growing exponentially.
> It’s a critical element of our marketing plans, providing tools to
communication, digital spaces to collaborate and above all, relevant 25
content.
The growing use of SM by 50+ population is amazing. I read recently that

the fastest growing population for it is women 55+. Since I am a baby
boomer myself and can relate to other BB's and the use of SM by BB's is
growing quickly, I think it makes absolute sense to target this market.
Advice StrataGEMS ── Editor’s Best Top Five Video Collection on Boomer and
Senior Marketing
Title : Jeff Taylor, Eons – “Baby Boomers on Social Media”
Click here to view

Title: Seth Berman on “Using Social Media To Target Baby Boomers”
Click here to view

Title: The Boomer File – “Social Networking with Lorne Froman”
Click here to view

Title: “Social Networking for the Boomers?” By Web Pro News
Click here to view

Title: Videos of all six panel sessions of the 2010 Silvers Summit
Click here to view the six-session menu
26
A Model for Meaningful Online Engagement.

The Meaningful Online Engagement Model (MOEM).
.
Created and developed by Immersion Active, a digital advertising agency,
MOEM is a proprietary strategic planning tool that merges creative, media,
and technical development into an integrated approach that, upon effective
execution, will deliver results in campaigns targeting boomers. In my
judgment, this is the tool that serves as point of differentiation.
.
It is one thing to dazzle readers by name dropping the coolest cutting-edge
“MOEM . . .
social media tools and Web 2.0 technologies like RSS, widgets, user-
drills home the
generated content, etc. But the folks at Immersion Active made certain not
message to
to neglect the fact that technological wizardry is no substitute for a well-
publish content
thought out marketing communications program. Besides, emphasizing
that is useful,
fundamentals like defining one's audience, MOEM also drills home the
unobtrusive,
message to publish content that is useful, unobtrusive, honest, engaging, and
honest,
interactive.
engaging, and
.
interactive.”
You can build your own engagement strategy ── a MOEM scorecard ──
that will help you gather your thoughts, answer questions, and record
valuable data.
.
The scorecard helps you develop three critical strategies:
Brand Engagement – an outline of the message you want to communicate
about your brand.
Audience Engagement – refining the details of who you should want to
communicate to and how it should be told.
Content-space Engagement – developing the end result in an actionable,
specific engagement marketing communications plan.
.
In the emerging ecosystem of user-generated content and citizen journalism,
baby boomers are empowered. They want to discuss brands and companies,
write their own product reviews, and find their own deals.
.
That’s why MOEM is such a compelling tool. You can begin your own MOEM
scorecard whenever it’s convenient. Click MOEM.
Researcher’s Note: Immersion Active has a book titled Dot Boom. More
about the book in Chapter Vl.
27
The Public Relations Dashboard for Boomer and

Senior Marketers
Online marketing and PR service provider SeniorCareMarketer.com

is an online marketing, news distribution and PR services specifically
for professionals and organizations that target the 50+ baby boomer
and beyond demographic.
A suite of point and
click public relations SCM combines a database of marketing and public relations tools,
tools including press release distribution and campaign
management/measurement.
The value proposition of SCM is to make available a comprehensive

suite of social media tools to help our members increase brand
awareness, develop new business opportunities, and generate
incremental revenue.
A summary of the SCMs product offering includes:

 Plan/manage: Information databases including profiles of
journalists and bloggers who cover the senior care and boomer
industry, media outlets, advertising information, editorial
calendars, direct marketing information, conferences and trade
shows, speaking opportunities, blogs, award competitions and
live Tweets from hundreds of journalists covering the senior
care and Boomer marketplace and more.
 Execute: Press release distribution, direct marketing, content
syndication, social media integration and more.
 Measure: Clipping services, keyword ranking tools and Web
site metrics through an interface with Google Analytics.
All features are designed to help companies manage their online

marketing and PR and reach buyers and purchasing influencers of
products and services relating to the needs of the 50+ baby boomer
and mature demographic.
Take a test drive - - point and click here.

28
Using Talk Radio to Engage with

Boomers and Older Adults
by Adriane Berg
“You’re much shorter than I thought you were;” or, “much younger, older,
blonder.”
As a talk radio show host, it is clear to me that my listeners have a vision of

who I am, and what I look like that even meeting me in person can never
erase. Every talk show host understands that they are intimates with their
listeners, actually the creation of the listener. That is why talk radio is such a
“When it comes to powerful tool for communication. People internalize your voice, the most
boomers and older spiritual and lasting of human attributes, they are touched by your words.
adults, talk radio is
even more of a When it comes to boomers and older adults, talk radio is even more of a
powerhouse for powerhouse for influential communication. After all, older adults grew up
influential with radio, before the days of TV. Even their greatest TV stars were
communication.” crossovers from radio. Enter the cohort called the “leading edge baby
boomer,” the oldest of the boomers. We grew up listening as young children
to our parents’ favorite shows, like Fibber McGee and Molly and the Shadow.
These early experiences make it inevitable that we love radio, too. Radio
“skews old,” opines the ad agency gurus. But it also skews educated and
wealthy; as the demographic that can’t get enough radio is the most
educated and among the wealthiest of any target market in the United
States.
But, where does internet or digital radio fit in? Terrestrial radio requires a
station, a set of call letters, and FCC approval for broadcasting. Satellite radio
requires a contract and access. But internet radio requires computer literacy
and optimally, the ability to access mp3 recordings on your iphone, phone
app, Carmen (ubs-style device that plays through your car radio.)
So how will the older consumer get engaged with internet/digital radio
given our late-in-life start with the digital revolution?
Very easily, thank you.
Women over 55 are on the computer more frequently than teenagers. Older
adults are reaching out for connectivity to grand children, old friends, and
family by getting familiar with e-mail, then computers in general. If the
content of a radio show is compelling, boomers and even much older adults
can be highly motivated to “learn” how to find a show online and listen with
loyalty once they do.
Engaging the older adult and boomer through online radio in all its
technological variety is not a matter of technology so much as:
1. Excellence in broadcasting
and
2. Promotion
29
Once you have mastered these two elements, talk radio can be the least
“ . . . boomers and even costly and most effective medium to get your message across, market and sell
much older adults can your product. It is also a breakthrough way to advocacy and fund raising. If
be highly motivated to you doubt for a moment the power of the spoken word heard over radio, just
“learn” how to find a check out our political pundits on both sides of the aisle, and any reservations
show online and listen you may have as to the power of radio to influence and to get a message
with loyalty once they across will quickly disappear.
do.”
What is “excellence in broadcasting” in the context of digital radio to
capture the boomer and older adult listener’s attention?
The answer comes in roughly 10 types of shows you can develop for digital
radio, that track the type of programming that hits a home run on terrestrial
radio, except it is better (you will see why as you read on.)
1. Education-Boomer and seniors know a lot, and what they don’t know
they can find out. But older life stages are being lived in ways we
never anticipated, and there are things “we don’t know that we don’t
know”. Lifelong learning is a part of the rite of passage of this
educated cohort. If you can clue us in on a new world of information
you engage us. Witness the prolific growth of online radio coaching in
health, wealth, travel and home ownership. Create a program that
teaches us how to communicate with older parents and
younger/adult kids, be great grandparents, date after widowhood
and you have a winner.
2. Advice and Expertise-Related to educational shows, but not quite the
same, are the expert advisor show, where an expert answers callers’
questions, now just as likely to be e-mailed or asked on a blog.
Referring listeners to a website that promotes related products,
services and of course more information, makes a powerful
handmaiden to the radio advice.
3. Connectivity and Community-As we age the need to keep in
communication, to relate to friends and family, can be met through
radio. In a show I hosted “I’m 40,” we not only played music that
resonated, had guests from past TV and radio shows that we
remembered from our youth, but announced school reunions and
brought old friends together; a type of radio Face Book, several
decades before its time. It is now easy to create an online group with
your listeners through a fan page for your show on Face Book, and
through Twitter.
4. Music and Entertainment-You may think that music and talk are two
genres, but not for older adults and boomers. We share a musical
vocabulary and interspersing appropriate music with talk, sports
announcements, even poetry and a staged play makes great radio for
this cohort.
5. Advocacy and Change-If you can give us applause for anything, it’s
that boomers know how to change the world, from racial equality to
gender neutrality, to reinventing aging, we are natural advocates. So
stir up the status quo with your show, advocate change, enlist us in
writing to our legislature, composing an op ed, and you have us with
hello.
6. Charitable Giving and Causes-We are also good givers and slow to
trust, so find a way for us to be sure that our volunteer efforts and 30
charitable donations get to the heart of a problem and we will be at
your side. Radio fund raising and sharing of volunteer experiences is a

grabber.
7. Market Research-We have opinions, you need to make business
decision on how to sell to us. We are not mysterious. If you want to
know what we think just ask us through radio solicitations. Our own
Boomer Authority Radio Network offers a question of the week that
any of our hosts can ask their audience. Answers go directly to a
market research firm. Compare radio surveys to any other type and
you discover that you can do niche research at a fraction of the cost
of any other avenue.
8. Innovation-Do you have an idea that no one else has? Or do you just
think so? Is the idea any good? Test it on the radio. Do a split test
with different radio offers at different times and on different shows.
Nothing is faster to try out at a low cost than an internet radio test.
9. Advertising and Infomercials-Whether you want to engage the
audience with a 30, 60, 90 second commercial, speak directly to us
without condescension and your message will be elevated from white
noise to intimate communication. Millions of dollars of product has
been sold directly through long form radio infomercials that are
entertaining, informative and cost a fraction of any other type of
similar engagement of our cohort
10. Weather and Traffic-Yes, services can provide even internet radio
with the practical things that all boomers and older adults need;
weather and traffic, and community bulletin boards. Seniors need to
know the weather, the slippery factor, the chill factor and the
breathability factor. Provide the practical, and you will get a local
audience to “tune you in.”
IF THEY KNOW YOU ARE THERE. Which brings us to essential #2.
Promotion of your show: INTEGRATION OF THE RADIO SHOW AND

TRADITIONAL INTERNET MARKETING MAKE A PERFECT
PROMOTIONAL PAIR.
Here is where digital radio is better than terrestrial radio alone, it is

easy to promote. In fact, it can be the centerpiece of any social media
campaign.
Especially corporate branded shows have the built in ability to have

“legs.” They hark back to the days when live radio was driven by
corporate advertising, jingles, and radio “stars” that became
identified with brands. This “transference” between a show and a
brand can be “built” by harnessing the cumulative integration of the
show and the various forms of social marketing, as they specifically
appeal to the boomer and senior.
For Facebook and LinkedIn, the radio show is content, sending people
to the show with posts about guest celebrities, a teaser question, a
“how-to “offer. In turn, the radio refers listeners to the social sites
and websites. You Tube videos, slide share with scripts that further
illuminate the content of the show, are components of a carefully 31
orchestrated promotional campaign that garners listeners like a snow
ball rolling downhill.
For older listeners that may not be social site aficionados,

connections can be made on sites that specifically do attract this age
group, such as health and travel sites and their blogs. Even those that
do not use computers can be introduced to internet radio through
strategic alliances with the hundreds of senior center computer
courses. For those who seek out the older adult cohort, imagine
hundreds being trained to use the computer by learning to use the
URL for your radio show.
In short, internet radio is more than radio and more than the
internet, but a combination that is well beyond the sum of its parts.
32
Vibrant Nation: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think,

Do & Buy
Chapter Three: The Motivational Marketing Pyramid:
The end of one size fits all

An excerpt from The corresponding challenge for marketers is that the dynamic demographic
Vibrant Nation:
is not a candidate for the “one-size-fits-all” marketing strategies and
What Boomer
motivational messaging that may have appeared to do the trick in
Women 50+
Know, Think, Do generations past. Regardless of her segment, however, one thing is certain:
& Buy by she is her own woman at her own, distinct lifestage. The ways she makes
Stephen Reily purchase decisions differ markedly from earlier stages in her own life, from
and Carol previous generations at her age, and from younger women today.
Orsborn
In place of “one size fits all,” the savvy marketer seeks to understand the
distinct motivational drivers that define the Vibrant Woman marketplace. In
our illuminating study of women 50+, we posed an open-ended question
about the stages of life when the Vibrant Woman had changed her
motivation for choosing certain brands over others. Almost every woman in
the study reported that her motivations changed dramatically as she entered
her late 40s and 50s. Moreover, this shift did not arise as many marketers
had assumed it would—because she began saving more money or trading
down as she approached retirement. The Vibrant Women we surveyed told
us that it came, instead, from a variety of influences, including transitional
lifestage events (living in an empty nest, losing a parent or spouse), physical
changes (menopause, surviving breast cancer), new family roles
(grandparent, caregiver), and social changes (travel and volunteer work that
raise social and environmental awareness, for example). In fact, defying the
stereotypes, Vibrant Women actually have greater financial stability than at
any other time in their life, providing them with both the discretionary
income and motivation to satisfy their own needs. Vibrant Women observe
their lives changing as they enter a new stage of life, and the way they make
purchase decisions changes with it. Based on this research, we present the
first market segmentation of Vibrant Women, grounded in the motivational
factors we have observed as they enter and transit this dynamic new stage of
life.
33
The Five Segments of the Vibrant Woman Consumer Market
1. Values Endorsers
Approximately 14 percent of our study’s Vibrant Women reported that they
are now motivated to purchase brands that satisfy their interest in
environmental/green values and social, health, and safety issues. Only 2
percent say that they were similarly motivated in their 20s. Experience and
increasing wealth allows the Values Endorser to follow her beliefs
(environmental, social, moral) in choosing where to spend her money. As
one Values Endorser respondent said, “I’ve become freer to support
manufacturers with social policies similar to mine, and I simply don’t
purchase goods if I can’t find manufacturers that met my approval.”
2. Simplicity Seekers
Some 20 percent of the Vibrant Women in our study told us that they seek,
above all, value and simplicity in choosing one brand over another. These
women are not just cost-cutters, although some are focusing on savings as
they prepare for the future. They are primarily and increasingly selective,
and uninterested in buying things they don’t need, in buying things that
won’t last, or in paying more than necessary for the things they do need.
3. Self-Interested Spenders
Almost half of all Vibrant Women respondents – 48 percent – reported that
they now make purchase decisions based on whether brands, products, and
services acknowledge and meet their specific needs. This was not true at
earlier lifestages. Fewer than 25 percent of them said that they made
decisions for this reason in their 20s, and barely 30% of them said that it was
true in their 30s. In the study, they reported that during these earlier
decades of their lives, they consistently purchased the same brands either
honoring brand loyalty or “ignoring their own needs.” But as they aged, 34
these women responded that they have become more selective, willing to
shift loyalty to the brands that recognize and meet their needs. As one
respondent said, “I decided to buy what interested me and— totally and
irrevocably—to write off all those companies that weren’t interested in
seeking me as a consumer.”
4. Experiential Indulgers
About 9 percent of Vibrant Women respondents reported that they make
buying decisions based on their ability to enjoy new and expensive brands.
More status-conscious than the other three segments, these consumers
enjoy their ability to buy whatever they want and follow cultural leads in
trying out the status-oriented brands they buy. As one respondent said,
“Cost be damned, I want the best for my hubby and me.”
5. Other Pleasers
Only 2 percent of Vibrant Women reported that they now make purchase
decisions based on the needs of others. A full 15 percent reported that
purchase decisions in their 20s were based on the needs of others; 9 percent
report the same in their 30s. These five distinct segments are interesting and
useful in their own right. But when viewed through the lens of adult
development theory, they reveal additional facets of relevance for
marketers. Referring back to Abraham Maslow, we recall that the insightful
psychologist postulated a hierarchy of human needs that form a basis for
understanding how people mature through stages, with implications for
marketers. Basically, Maslow’s model of adult development was based on
the pyramid, with the largest percentage of the population, the wide base of
the triangle, consumed with survival issues. As life-sustaining issues are
resolved over time, the individual becomes less reactive and gradually
evolves toward a state of actualization at the peak of the pyramid, where
altruism comes increasingly into play. Maslow put the percentage of people
who achieve the highest stage of actualization at about 3 percent.
Motivated by Purpose
The notion of progressing from a model of consumption motivated by
survival to one motivated by purpose or meaning correlates to the five
segments of the Vibrant Woman market, with one notable refinement. For
Vibrant Women, the least evolved stages of adult development have virtually
dropped off the bottom of the pyramid. Rather, the majority of women in
our demographic have already moved through these earlier stages and are
pressing upward toward actualization at a pace and rate that exceeds
expectations.
For starters, let’s take a look at the women in this demographic who are in
the least developed stage of adult development, the “Other Pleasers.” Other
Pleasers represent the consumer segment of women whose sense of identity
and survival depends on pleasing others, whether partners, children, or
35
other figures of authority. For these women, there is comfort and security in
just wanting to be told what to do. Loyal to the status quo, they consistently
put the needs of others ahead of their own.
Some marketers still believe that the majority of women 50+ still fall into this
category. They portray the silver-haired matron serving dinner to the
extended family, assure her that eight out of ten doctors recommend this or
that product, and tell her that their bank will take care of her “like family.” If
these marketers are hoping to connect with the unprecedented wealth and
influence of the Vibrant Woman, however, they will miss the heart of their
generational target and capture less than 2 percent of the demographic.
In effect, the old “bottom” of the pyramid has become statistically irrelevant
to the marketer. We now turn our attention to the second smallest
consumer segment: Experiential Indulgers. As they make their way up the
Motivational Marketing Pyramid and rebel against their previous
conditioning, Other Pleasers evolve into Experiential Indulgers. Whether you
call it rebellion, mid-life crisis, or reinvention, this woman casts aside her
motivation to satisfy the needs of others. For instance, if she used to book
family vacations at the Holiday Inn because her value-conscious mother
always did, she now refuses to stay there for the very same reason: because
her mother always did. Instead of worrying about pleasing her mother, she’ll
head for the Ritz-Carlton, winning lots of bragging points with her status
conscious peers. And sometimes, she’ll even leave her children and husband
behind, heading off with girlfriends for a weekend at the spa or even larger
experiences, such as adventure expeditions and pampering cruises. While
she experiences this stage as freedom, she is often unconsciously acting in
knee-jerk reaction to her own past. She will deliberately seek destinations,
products, and services, sometimes even regardless of value or effectiveness,
simply to prove to the world that she is her own woman and a Vibrant
Woman of means.
Editors note: More about the book in the Resource Listing
36
Be Mindful Of Life Stages

by Lori Bitter
“Unlike the As professionals marketing to consumers 45+, we

excitement of spend a great deal of time advising clients about
grandparenting, messaging. The critical messaging that engages older
care giving is consumers in meaningful conversations about a brand and a product that
fraught with eventually leads to purchase. Generally, equal weight is given to the
fear, difficult "where" or the context of the message and the media, or engagement, plan.
decisions, sibling
conflict and Considerably less importance is paid to when these messages may be most
financial relevant to older consumers and how the understanding of older consumer
obligations.” lifestyles and life stages can create greater resonance with brand and
product messaging. While age/cohort experience is a jumping-off point for
understanding the basics of a consumer population, too many generational
generalizations have prevailed for both the WWII and Boomer cohorts.
My ‘when’ doesn't refer to a media calendar or seasonality -- like "let's do

holiday gift guides". Consumers need to be engaged where they are, and,
for older consumers, this is an increasingly complex issue. If you look at the
chart, below, you will note a number of mature consumer ‘life stages’.
Unlike the mature generations before, today's older consumers have a lot
going on. They are the generation of consumers that set Madison Avenue's
expectation that life changes created consumer activity.
Rather than moving through life in the linear lifestyle of the World War II
Generation, these new matures are creating a life stage "mosaic" -- moving
in and out of a variety of life stages in a dynamic fashion. Each of these life
stage changes creates unique consumer opportunities. That is, suddenly
consumers are looking for products and services that may never have been
in the consideration set before this life stage.
There are several that should be on a marketer's radar right now.

Grandparenting is perhaps the simplest of these life stages to understand
and observe. With 70 million grandparents nationwide, comprising nearly
40% of U.S. households, they are difficult to ignore. Media speak directly to
37
the 1.7 million people entering this life stage each year -- a magazine,
websites, and loads of online content. Most interesting is the changing
nature of these grandparents -- they are young (average age is 48), wired,
and working. And they spend more than $50 billion annually on their
grandchildren.
At the other end of the spectrum is care giving -- providing informal care for
an elderly loved one. This life stage is harder to observe, even though nearly
45 million adults are providing care. The typical caregiver is in her late 40s,
is working and adding another 20 hours per week to her schedule by
providing care. It is a leading cause of absenteeism for mature consumers in
the workplace, with 62% reporting they have had to make adjustments at
work to continue to provide care.
Unlike the excitement of grandparenting, care giving is fraught with fear,

difficult decisions, sibling conflict and financial obligations. Caregivers have
many unmet needs: finding time for themselves, managing stress, and
balancing work and family responsibilities. They are also seeking ways to
keep their loved ones safe and active, while juggling communication with
the healthcare system.
We read almost daily about the influence and financial power of the
Boomer female consumer, and yet many of these women are quietly
struggling through this life stage, with little recognition, engagement or
support from the companies she relies on. Many brands have no insight into
the ‘multi-mindedness’ of this consumer, and consequently the messaging
falls flat, never making it through the clutter. Her unmet needs create
enormous potential for all kinds of goods and services -- both in and outside
of the health arena.
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39
Don't Let The Age Of Your Markets Determine Your Approach:
The Costs Can Be Significant!

By Jim Gilmartin
Don't Be Fooled By the Hype
Over the next decade the over 50 year old markets will increase by approximately
50% while the under 50 markets will increase by only 1%. Management and
Marketers would be wise to affirm or reaffirm their approach to this growing market.
Unfortunately, most companies that target baby boomers (78 million strong born between
1946 and 1964) and older customers (38 million strong born before 1946) take a programmatic,
tactical or numbers approach rather than a strategic approach to increasing market share. In
addition, because of all the rhetoric and media hyperbole about demographic trends, marketers
are allowing the age of their current and future customers to decide their approach to service
design and delivery.
Age is the inappropriate focus. Marketers may have developed a frame of reference about
baby boomer and older customers that too often causes them to focus on the development
"senior" programs exclusively to serve the wants and needs of these significant segments of
their market. Unfortunately, this approach is costing them market share.
Rather than designing services based on the age groups in their market (a numbers/tactical
approach), companies should be concentrating their efforts on developing and implementing
strategies to improve customer satisfaction across all of the current services provided.
However, improved strategies will only come with a better understanding of the behavior of
the baby boomer and older customer and applying that knowledge to current service,
marketing and sales decision-making.
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A Need for a New Research Paradigm: Developmental Relationship Marketing

David B. Wolfe, noted expert on the business implications of an aging marketplace, has called
for a new paradigm - Developmental Relationship Marketing (DRM). "We base DRM theory,
says Wolfe, “in human development concepts, principally following the ideas of Carl Jung,
Abraham Maslow and Erik Erickson on human development processes and stages."
Marketers that take the time to understand the behavior of baby boomer and older customers,
the findings of life stage and life style research, and the findings of split brain, chronological vs.
cognitive age research, etc., will significantly increase their chances of success in aging markets.
Through a process that changes their frame of reference regarding baby boomer and older
customers, and the frame of reference of employees (shift paradigms), companies can make
significant progress, and improve the position of their organizations in baby boomer and older
customer markets. The most successful companies are those who recognize the need to
strategically adapt to a changing demographic environment, and identify and act upon new
opportunities.
A Self Analysis
To begin the process of changing your frame of reference about the segment that could make
up sixty to 80 percent of your business, you might consider asking yourself and staff the
following questions:
 Do we take a programmatic/tactical or strategic approach
to baby boomer and older customer markets? Has management critically
thought through the company’s vision, goals, strategies, priorities and
potential options to set direction and sense of purpose (created a common
construct)? Planning and prioritizations are major components of success
for customer service improvement in aging markets. Are we integrating
the implications of baby boomer and older customer behavior into our
vision, goals and strategies?
 Is leadership collaborating to shape a culture that makes superior service as
natural as thinking? In larger companies have we surfaced a “Champion” and
empowered him or her to take the action necessary to assure that we actualize
the vision, goals and strategies of baby boomer and older customer markets’
improvement initiative? In smaller companies, the leader is the "Champion.”
 Have we begun developing an organizational culture to support the belief that
the service delivery staff is the most important people in the company - since
they serve the customer? Do we understand that the environment we create
for the staff is the world they will create for the customer?
 Do we know our internal capabilities? Have we declared war on bureaucracy?
Are we allowing individual agenda's to control our approach to baby boomer
and older customer markets? Have we begun the process of analyzing our
organization's marketing, sales and service delivery or distribution system, with
41
the goal of responding to the life satisfaction needs of this population?

 Do we know the needs, wants (they are not the same) and desires of baby
boomer and older customers? Have we identified the service gaps? Qualitative
and quantitative research is a significant key to a workable or service
improvement strategy.
 Have we taken the time to acquire and apply our knowledge of baby boomer
and older customers to operations management, and to product and service
planning and decision-making?
 Do we continue to use the age of the target market as the determining factor for
marketing, sales and service development or modification? Do we use our
knowledge of the findings of Life Stage and Life Style research to decide our
approach to marketing, sales and service development and improvement?
 Are we questioning our current approach to communicating with the baby
boomer and older customer? Do we consider perceptions, values, behaviors and
physical changes of the target market in our deliberations? Have we considered
the age of those in our company responsible for communications to baby
boomer and older customers? Generally, younger staff has difficulty
empathizing with the baby boomer and older customer population. Are we
including members of the baby boomer and older customer population in our
service design, delivery and communications development process?
In Summary, Consider The Following Keys To Success In Baby Boomer And Older Customer
Markets.
 Be able and willing to change your frame of reference regarding these growing
markets
 Be prepared to challenge current marketing, sales and service approach to baby
boomer and older customers
 Know the physiological and behavioral changes affecting baby boomer and
older customers
 Educate and train management (sensitize management)
 Know your internal culture,
capabilities’ & obstacles
 Understand the human
communications process
 Understand the organizational
obstacles to success
 Know your internal capabilities
 Understand the price of
commitment
 Develop a “circuit loop of
management” to assure the lights go on below when we turn the switch on
above
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 Develop a strategic approach

 In large companies select an executive as a baby boomer and older customer
champion
 Know your baby boomer and older customer’s needs and wants (research)
 Include baby boomer and older customers in product, marketing, sales and
service development (test your concepts)
 Apply knowledge to product development & service delivery
 Educate and train (sensitize sales and service employees)
 Develop a culture that supports the sales and service delivery staff
 Develop a culture that makes superior service as natural as breathing
 Make physical facility changes to create a user friendly and appealing
environment for baby boomer and older customers
Marketers, sales management and operations leadership should not continue to practice what
they consider to be "tried and true" methods to attract and retain baby boomer and older
customers. The physiological, psychological and behavioral changes caused by the aging
process demands a significantly different management, marketing, sales and service approach
than many companies currently practice.
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Becoming an Information Sherpa

by Tom Mann
“. . . elite The term Sherpa is used to refer to local people, native to the
mountaineers Himalayas, who are employed by climbers as guides for adventures high
and experts in the mountains. They are elite mountaineers and experts in navigating
in navigating their local terrain. Climbing Mount Everest without a Sherpa is a
their local dangerous venture. Without the Sherpa’s knowledge and experience,
terrain . . .” most travelers would be lost in the high air.
How is this possible? After all, climbing is a simple as putting one

foot in front of the other and heading straight up … right?
Today’s consumer faces a similar challenge. To make good

decisions the average person must now scale a mountain of information
before arriving at the truth. Because of the overwhelming amount of
information available (newspaper, web, TV, magazines, social media
sites, newsletters, etc), much of which is often conflicting, I believe
boomers and the mature market will increasingly look for “Information
Sherpas” to guide them on the path of good health. Companies that
recognize this opportunity can capitalize and grow their business.
So how do you position yourself as their Information Sherpa?
Tools Needed For Reaching The Summit
As a guide, you will need certain tools for helping your clients
reach new heights:
1. Know The Terrain – The first tool is the

most obvious, you need knowledge.
Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most
difficult tools to obtain. You must read,
read, read, and read … and then study.
Your clients don’t have the time to read
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and study the latest developments in health and wellness.

But if you do, you will become a trusted resource.
Let’s use wellness as an example. According to an annual
research study conducted by The Natural Marketing Institute
(NMI) in 2007, among 1,500+ U.S. Boomers, less than one
out of five people were very satisfied with their ability to
maintain proper weight, and only 10 percent feel they are in
good shape. Only 18 percent are very satisfied with their
ability to eat a healthy and nutritious diet. Why are today’s
boomers having so much difficulty with wellness? One of the
reasons for their inability to make good choices is that they
are simply overwhelmed with information. 33 percent of
Boomers rate themselves as confused about what to eat for
good health; and two-thirds feel a healthy lifestyle is more
difficult to maintain as they get older. As Boomers become
flooded with more and more information regarding health,
nutrition and well-being via TV, infomercials, newspaper,
web, social media sites, newsletters, etc., it becomes difficult
to sort out the good information from the bad. Is coffee
good for you or bad for you? What about one glass of wine?
Shrimp - good cholesterol or bad? Vitamin E and fish oil? No
wonder Boomers are confused! Call it “paralysis induced by
information overload.”
Your job is to show them the path and keep them
moving. One of the best ways to do that is to show them
that you’ve done the research.
2. Wear A Light – To be a good Sherpa, you need to be
recognized as a leader. If you keep your knowledge to
yourself you’ll be leaving others in the dark, they won’t
know who to follow. Shine your light and others will
recognize you as a leader.
Blogging or electronic newsletters are a great way to

establish yourself as an expert. If you are an entrepreneur,
this is a must. Of course, getting published in traditional
media also works to establish you as an expert. It is best if
you can write something and get it published, but having a
story written about you also helps. And getting published is
not as hard as you would think. Most organizations with
publications, newsletters, and websites are starving for
relevant content.
Many moons ago, when I was heading up Erickson

Retirement Communities advertising efforts, I created a
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publication called The Erickson Tribune. The Tribune was a

monthly direct mail piece, mailed to 3.5 million people,
disguised as a ten-page newspaper. Today, my team
continues this service of creating customized newspapers for
clients around the country. Why? Because it works … and
because we recognize that to be invited into a person’s
house each and every month, we need to create something
of real value for the reader. Here are the simple instructions
I give my talented staff: Involve, Inform, and Inspire.
Think about these three words very carefully. Involve,

Inform and Inspire. I promise you, if you use these three
words to guide your marketing efforts you will be seen as an
expert, a true Information Sherpa. Only then will you gain
respect and your decisions will be trusted. Do it well, and
you will become an Information Sirdar (Sherpa leader)! Even
better, forget about marketing, use these words to guide all
of your actions and you’ll start to experience major success
in life.
Let’s tackle the first word.
 Inform. Before the real estate market crashed, The

Tribune published a detailed story on why that
moment in time was the ideal time for our readers to
sell their houses. Loaded with research, we were
doing them a real service, by providing them with
real information. The Tribune was written in a newsy,
editorial manner with very little traditional
advertising. Our clients benefit immensely from the
goodwill created from providing dozens of valuable
fact-filled articles, real information each and every
month (in fact, roughly 50% of Erickson’s leads came
in through The Erickson Tribune).
Do you have this opportunity? Absolutely! How

about a monthly electronic-newsletter brimming
with valuable health tips that can easily be passed on
to friends and family? These actions will also go a
long way towards establishing you or one of your
staff members as an expert and engaging reciprocity.
And make sure your experts’ and your salespersons’
photos are always included. You want your
perspective customer to feel like they know you and
your team.
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 Inspire. Do you have inspirational customers (the

answer is “yes”)? Do you retell their stories as often
as possible? If not, you should be. In addition, you
should be capitalizing on these stories as PR
opportunities. Many retirees are searching for new
meaning in their lives. After all, society tends to
devalue you once you retire. What’s the first
question someone asks you at a party? “So, who do
you work for?” Tell them how valuable they are to
you and your team and you’ll have a friend for life.
And the best way to tell these stories is through the
press and your newsletters. And the effect? Other
retirees look at those stories and go, “I want to be
involved!” In short, you win through osmosis.
PR is even more powerful than advertising. It

comes across as an unsolicited recommendation. I
guarantee you, the stories that you don’t yet know
about your customers will amaze you. And even
more importantly, getting to know them this deeply,
so that you can discover these stories, will be even
more important than the PR itself. Your customers
will feel a real connection with you. They’ll know that
they belong and are cared for. Plus, most people love
being stars!
One word of advice on PR if you are marketing

senior related products, make sure that all the stories
you share are forward looking stories. One of the
biggest sins I frequently see retirement communities
and other senior related companies make is
celebrating their residents’ past accomplishments.
This is understandable, as many of these
accomplishments are truly incredible … like
defending our nation during WWII. The only problem
with this is that you have just positioned your
company to fit the stereotype most people, including
other seniors, have of seniors.
 Involve. As many of you may know, GRAND Magazine

is one of my clients. GRAND is a national online
magazine for today’s active grandparents. GRAND,
along with one of our advertisers, Humana, created a
contest for the GRANDparent of the Year award. This
is an example of involving GRAND’s readers and
47
Humana’s customers and potential customers.

Incidentally, you can find GRAND at
GRANDmagazine.com.
The best forms of “involvement” allow your

customers to interact with your team and each other.
The birth of social media has provided the perfect
platform for involvement. Sponsor events in areas of
interest to your customers and then publicize the
events on your social media site (Facebook, LinkedIn,
or any of the countless others). Don’t know what
they are interested in? Just ask! The mere act of
asking for their opinion is one of the most important
forms of involvement you could provide. By the way,
The Boomer Authority provides a wonderful polling
tool for its members. Our customized newspapers
that we create for our clients have a contest for
almost everything … cutest pet … best photo … best
recipe … any excuse for people to share more about
themselves with us.
Again, the possibilities are endless! Your goal is to

get people involved … to belong!
Also, remember, that building relationships extends beyond

your current customers. There are plenty of opportunities to bring the
outside world in.
First, have a strong website. Did you know that 72% of people
use the internet when shopping for a health club? Think of it this way,
the internet has replaced the yellow pages. Your site should provide
people with the opportunity to connect in many of the ways we have
already talked about.
3. Have The Proper Attire – You wouldn’t climb Mount Everest

without the proper attire AND you should try to run a
business without the proper attire. Part of being an expert is
looking the part. How can you apply this principal? Uniforms,
badges, clipboards – become the expert. Also, add to your
credentials by using press releases, videos, association
memberships, public speaking, framed licenses, honors . . .
you get the point. In general, people place higher value in
people of authority, i.e. experts; you WANT this principal
working in your favor.
4. Enjoy The Journey –People want to follow people who are
48
having fun. Even on days where you are not feeling

motivated, it’s important to act the part. Your ability to
motivate is the key to having more of your clients reach the
summit!
49
11
Reaching Boomers through Social Media: Six Tips for

Getting Started
A social media program can help your organization take advantage of the opportunities to
reach aging consumers online
by Lori Bitter
In 2011 the biggest marketing question of all types of business is about the use of social media.
And in the aging consumer arena, we face these questions: Are people 50+ online? Are they
using social media? Are they reading blogs? To answer these questions we launched a research
study to inform direction and understand what older consumers are doing online.
Boomers spending more time online
Percent of time Boomers and Trailing Boomers respondents spend on activities compared with
three years ago (September, 2009)
50
Question: Compared with 3 years ago, how has the amount of time you spend on each of the
activities following changed?
Boomers (defined as consumers born between 1946 and 1964) were asked where they are
spending time compared to three years ago. Boomers are spending less time doing a lot of
things: exercising, volunteering, listening to the radio, reading magazines and newspapers.
Now look at where they are spending more time: online. Sixty-two percent report spending
more time on the Internet compared with three years ago. Couple this with a 513% increase in
Facebook usage by
baby boomers over age 55 in 2009 (Source: iStrategylabs) and you can begin to see how
boomers are driving the growth and power of social media.
The next chart illustrates how both older and younger boomers are using social media,
compared with younger cohorts. Interestingly, younger boomers behave more like Gen X, and
older boomers behave more like senior consumers. But the big takeaway is that boomers are
using social media at approximately the same rate as younger consumers, and they are a much
larger population.
Boomers catching up with Gen X with social networking
Percentage managing a page on various social networking sites
Trailing
Social networking site Ikes Boomers Gen X
Boomers
Facebook.com 39% 39% 43% 50%
Twitter.com 5% 8% 15% 14%
Linkedin.com 6% 8% 11% 10%
Classmates.com 19% 20% 21% 12%
Myspace.com 11% 10% 22% 29%
None of these 50% 47% 45% 32%
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Question: On which social networking sites do you maintain a profile? (Select all that apply)
There is no longer a question of “should we?” The real question is “how can we?” This study
revealed the emergence of a boomer social maven who is influential both online and offline.
This maven has incredible value to businesses of all sizes.
We asked a number of questions about social media. In the final analysis, two questions
defined a social maven: socializing both on and off-line and the propensity to recommend
products and services. From this analysis, three clear segments emerged:
 Isolated Insulars: on their own and really social islands.

 Everyday people: this is where the most Boomers (and the social media lurkers) dwell.
 Social Mavens: connected, exploring and expanding their networks daily.
Mavens are more likely to be working and Trailing Boomers
Characteristics of respondents by level of social connectedness
(Boomers and Trailing Boomers only)
Characteristic Isolated Everyday Mavens
Female 46% 50% 53%
Leading Boomers 61% 54% 38%
Trailing Boomers 39% 46% 62%
Working full or part-time 18% 39% 62%
Self-employed 10% 9% 22%
Retired 36% 25% 11%
Household income 100K+ 15% 26% 43%
Volunteer 25% 45% 60%
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TV service (cable, satellite dish, or other) 87% 85% 91%
Local newspaper 42% 44% 49%
Online news service or newsletter 9% 12% 16%
Magazines 45% 54% 67%
Satellite radio 9% 11% 18%
Facebook.com 31% 44% 58%
Twitter.com 8% 12% 16%
Linkedin.com 4% 11% 16%
Classmates.com 17% 23% 22%
Myspace.com 13% 16% 20%
The chart above reflects the boomer cohort only. The social maven is most likely to be a
younger boomer, between 45 and 54. Interestingly, they are equally male and female – which is
a surprise because popular media would have us think of women as the voracious social media
consumer. The majority of mavens are still working; they are more likely to own their own
businesses; they have the highest household income and are the most likely to engage in
volunteer activity. The other huge takeaway from a marketing perspective is that mavens are
huge consumers of all types of media; in fact they use more traditional media than the other
segments. This is good news! As marketers we have more ways to reach them. And we have a
greater opportunity to create integrated campaigns that are centered on online media
Of course you should be using social media!
Given the research, “should you” is a relatively easy question to answer. The harder question is,
“how do I start a social media program?”, “how do I make social media relevant to my Boomer
and Senior consumers?” Finally, “how do I integrate social media with traditional media
programs and budgets?”
The biggest hurdles most companies have in implementing a social media strategy is:
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 Understanding the tools

 Having the time to manage a social media strategy
 And the biggest – losing control over their brand message
The “get ready” checklist
Any company considering investing in a social media strategy should consider the following
points and be willing to adjust their business/staffing model accordingly.
Can you answer these statements affirmatively?
•We spend time ‘listening’ online
Before you enter the online social conversation, spend time listening to the
conversations about your category and your brand. There are free ways to do this –
Google Alerts or Google Reader – or you can subscribe to a service that identifies where
conversations are happening and also give you advice on how to enter the conversation.
This exercise is absolutely critical to understanding the direction and goals of your social
media platform, and how the content you will be sharing will have relevancy.
Remember Boomers use online media and tools differently from younger consumers.
What you share needs to resonate, help solve a problem and provide valuable
information.
•We have clear goals for social media
How have you decided to use the social platform to advance your company? Is the goal
lead generation? A thought leadership positioning? Promotions for your company?
Branding? Remember that in the social space these are not mutually exclusive – you
may use LinkedIn Groups for lead generation, Twitter for promotions, and Facebook for
branding. Social media is not just for the top of the funnel – use it throughout the sales
and service cycle.
Keep in mind as you decide how to use social media throughout your business cycle that
Boomers value brands that are authentic in their communication, and as they age are
seeking experience over materialism.
•We have people power to execute successfully
Like any part of the marketing process, you must allocate staff time and resources to
execute appropriately in the social space. If you are a single consultant, think about how
much time you have or are willing to re-allocate to have a well-coordinated social
54
strategy. This should include time to blog two to three times a week, tweeting, group
activity in LinkedIn, content development for a Facebook fan page, etc. Of course, status
updates across your social identities are easy to automate, but content creation, group
participation and commenting/recommending all take considerably more time.
•We have enough quality content OR know where to get it
As mentioned above, if you aren’t a company that has existing content to leverage, you
will need to make time to write and research. In lieu of that, you may choose to
aggregate content from other providers, and create a point of view that is unique to
your company or brand. Or you may create partnerships to share content. There are
many ways to solve this. If you are unsure about how you should approach this for your
company, spend some time “listening” to brands you admire.
•We know where our clients and prospects are so we can focus
Many people engaging in social media are all about quantity of followers, fans and the
size of the network. Quantity is important – it’s your ‘reach’ in the language of
traditional media; but your goal is reaching your clients and your prospective clients.
Take a little time to learn where they are going in the social space so you can focus first
on the people you want.
Online should be considered similarly to direct mail, but with a lot more flexibility and
considerably less waste. Because it is immediate in terms of response and
measurement, you can learn from your work every day and make adjustments
accordingly.
•Our website and/or blog is ready for social media attention
Web sites are getting less attention in the flurry to launch social media programs.
Whether you are a traditional company site or a blog, or ideally both, have a great place
for people to go for more information. Take a hard look at your site. Have you done
formal or informal usability testing to ensure your site is Boomer friendly? Is it clear on
your home page how to navigate through your site? Boomers are information seeking
but want ease and speed. Don’t bury your best and/or most sought after information in
a hard to find corner of your site. Make sure you have clear paths through your site or
blog for different kinds of prospects; for example the information seeker who will hang
around and read versus the quick fix user who wants to find pricing information and
move on.
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Navigating the landscape: now that I’ve planned, what do I do?
CMO.com recently published a wonderful tool on their site called ‘The CMO’s Guide to the
Social Landscape.’ You can find it at: http://www.cmo.com/social-media/cmos-guide-social-
media-landscape. Download the PDF and refer to it as you build your ideas for a social media
program. Not only does it list each of the basic social sites with a description, it evaluates each
one in terms of their value to customer communication, brand exposure, traffic building for
your site and SEO (search engine optimization.) It is the best synopsis I have found for
understanding which tactic is most effective for reaching marketing goals.
A word about metrics
Don’t get caught up in them! If you are used to traditional media measurement you may feel
challenged by the social media environment. And many people get stuck on the ‘how to’ and
never launch. The good news is that you can track and measure your social media activity. But
learning about the tools and intricacies shouldn’t stop your start! Take your time and learn.
Google ‘social media analytics’ – you’ll see plenty to read! Or go to a site like Mashable.com
and read some of their reviews.
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So You Want a Revolution? Target Boomers on the

Internet
by Brent Green
Slide rules beget the handheld calculator. Calculators beget the TRS 88.
“The enabling The TRS 88 beget the IBM PC and Apple computer. Rudimentary personal
power of the computers beget the screaming-fast desktop supercomputers of today.
Internet will
continue to Along their way to technology nirvana, Baby Boomers have discovered and
make this adopted push-button telephones, answering machines, cordless telephones,
technology all VCRs, ATMs, cable television, compact disc players, microwave ovens,
the more photocopy machines, faxes, cellular telephones, DVD players, personal data
omnipresent assistants, email and the Internet. Except for the few Luddites among us,
among Boomers have not had too much difficulty adopting new technologies and
Boomers and taking them in stride.
thus potent
for The digital communication revolution is also a Boomer revolution.
marketers.”
Contrary to the popular perception and historical documentation that
technology affinity decreases with age, recent research evidence suggests that
Boomers have a strong propensity to use the Internet with nearly as great of a
frequency as younger generations.
According to the National Telecommunications and Information

Administration (NTIA), Internet usage is heavily correlated with exposure to
the Internet at work, and nearly 77% of those who use the Internet at the
office will also use the communication technology at home. Since most
Boomers are still working, most have daily contact with the ubiquitous
communication medium. Thus, for a sizeable majority, the Internet learning
curve is long behind them.1
1
National Telecommunications and Information Administration / Department of Commerce, A Nation Online: How
Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet (2002)
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Furthermore, with employment rates of those over 50 likely to increase

relative to previous generations, due in part to a workforce shortage and
underfunded retirement accounts, more Boomers will become Internet savvy
because more will remain in or return to the workforce than older generations.
Typical age barriers to technology adoption will also diminish as the Internet
evolves to include voice-activated applications, faster transmission bandwidth
affording more television-like Web pages, and Web cams to facilitate full
audiovisual communications.
Two other demographic factors that influence steeper rates of Internet

usage among Boomers are the generation’s higher per-capita prosperity and
the large number of Boomers who have attained a college degree. Both
affluence and higher education are lifestyle factors that correlate positively
with computer and Internet usage.2
Something else remarkable about Boomers will increase their propensity

for Internet usage: social networking. Boomers are the first generation where
peers separated by decades routinely find each other through today’s
extraordinary Internet search engine capabilities. The emergence and success
of websites such as FaceBook.com and Classmates.com partly attest to this
phenomenon.
Imagine this scenario, for example. Two former college roommates have
lost touch with each other since after graduation from college in 1972. One
roommate, call him Pete, is awful at keeping in touch, and his world travels as
a petroleum geologist made him often inaccessible. The other roommate,
Charlie, is more sentimental and tried to stay in touch with Pete through
periodic Christmas cards, but years of ignored communications finally
convinced Charlie to give up. This may have been the end of the story for Pete
and Charlie except for the phenomenon of social networking.
One Saturday following a televised basketball game, Charlie’s beloved

alma mater wins a Sweet 16 victory, and he reminisces about Pete and the
great times they used to have together at Saturday basketball games. Charlie
saunters over to his home computer and enters Pete’s full name into Google,
the ubiquitous search engine.
Suddenly, Charlie is assailed with several pages of listings and Web links to
Pete’s new oil exploration consulting company. It has been almost twenty
years since their last conversation, but on this Saturday in the new millennium,
the digital smoke signals rise with global impact. Charlie dispatches an email to
2
Harvard Generations Policy Review, Volume 1, Winter 2004, Staying Connected: Baby Boomers and the Internet,
by David Lazer
58
the address offered on the Contact Us page of the website; Pete replies within
three hours; and the sentimental relationship that began in college finds a new
mature context.
Now these middle-age men, with career climbing and child-rearing mostly
behind them, have more time for communication and a greater sense of
commitment to staying in touch. Their renewed relationship begins with
frequent catch-up email communications, then a telephone conversation from
cell phone to cell phone, and finally they agree to meet for a basketball game
at their former university—hopefully during the championship game.
This story is a typical analogy, and it is being played out daily across the
nation. Old friends, former lovers, and previous classmates are getting in touch
after years of separation. The Internet, with its powerful search capabilities
and instantaneous low-risk methods of communication, has created an
unprecedented interpersonal connection channel not possible before 1995
and the advent of the Internet. It has never been less risky, less costly, and
more possible to reconnect with special people from the past.
The enabling power of the Internet will continue to make this technology
all the more omnipresent among Boomers and thus potent for marketers.
Staying in touch with loved ones and getting in touch with former loved ones
are powerful motivators, especially during the mature years following 50, thus
creating a captive online audience.
In addition to the social attraction inherent in Internet communications,

the rapid deployment of the medium has created a vast knowledge warehouse
to serve Boomers changing lifestyles. Boomers can now research and find
almost unlimited information to meet their evolving needs, from searching for
details about an adventure travel vacation in Peru to seeking health
information about a sudden onset of shingles (a disease related to chicken pox
that often appears suddenly in adults over 50). The Internet is the world’s
greatest library and has created another compelling benefit to lure Boomers
online.
Although traditional media will continue to connect with Boomers, the

Internet deserves special consideration by marketers, and effectiveness at
using this medium for customer prospecting begins with developing sound
insights about competitors—competitive sleuthing.
Tips to Plan and Research Online Boomer Marketing Strategies

Begin at Home
It’s obvious that your major competitors often use their websites to strut
their stuff. You can probe backgrounds of key executives, evaluate product and
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service positioning strategies, and anticipate new-product introductions. You

can glean strategic weaknesses by what’s missing.
The key is to focus on minutiae. Corporate websites often mislead with

announcements for Phantom–ware, new markets never to be entered, and
spurious financial projections. However, if you pay attention to details, you’ll
have a few “ah-ha” experiences that lead to sound predictions about how your
competitors are using the Internet and are likely to be engaging Boomers
though e-strategies.
Think Global, Sleuth Local

When IBM’s Chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano sneezes, his cold is likely to
become a discussion item in his local newspaper. Once you’ve amused yourself
with IBM’s voluminous website, visit the Home Page for the Westchester
County newspaper. You’ll be amazed at what local media reveal about
corporate bigees and their grand visions for the
future. You’ll be amazed at what senior
managers confess to local reporters that never
gets printed in national trade media.
If you want a swift and decisive way to find

local media that have joined the Internet
collective—and virtually all have—visit
Newslink.org, which will connect you to more
than 3,600 newspapers, magazines, and television & radio stations. This
powerful media guide is searchable by state.
Keep Looking for a Job

One of the major Achilles’ Heels for companies using the Net is the
business intelligence that can be surmised from their Help-wanted ads. These
human resource appeals offer wonderful insights about where a company
might be heading in pursuit of Boomer markets and enabling technologies. The
two most valuable sites are CareerPath.com and Monster.com.
Wag the Search Engine

Gaining competitive intelligence on the Web is synonymous with
mastering the ubiquitous search engine. Most Web veterans are familiar with
the process, but search engines are continually adding advantageous
performance enhancements. For example, Google lets you start with a broad
search then drill down. If your search discovers a number of interesting
alternatives, but you want more titillation, return to the beginning page of
your search and click “I’m feeling lucky” to instantly discover compatible
kissing cousins. Google has also added a phenomenal new service entitled
Google News Alerts.
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You can sign up for this service at and click on the link to “News Alerts.”
You can store any search terms you want, and Google will send you daily email
summaries of all major media communications appearing that day on the
specified subjects. So, for example, you can set up a Google News Alert using
the company name of your competitor and the word “boomer.” You’ll be
amazed about what you can learn from this daily digest of breaking media
stories.
Searchers beware. I have asked search engines to find information with

exactly the same query on different occasions. The outcome is not always the
same. So, if you don’t get what you seek on first query, try again at different
times of the day and using other search engines such as Ask.com and
Yahoo.com. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Turn on, log in and connect out

Finally, if you need to expand your search for competitive intelligence
beyond the boundaries of logical space and time, look at one of my favorite
portals to information overload.
CEO Express! is an intelligent site organized by a female CEO who has put
on a single page almost every link you could ever need to learn almost
anything of value about everything corporate.
Next time you become more determined to bump up your Boomer

marketing research, gather competitive intelligence first. There are few
satisfactions greater than preempting myopic competitors by introducing their
next Boomer marketing strategy ahead of them.
Marketing to Boomers in the future will clearly involve multi-channel,

multi-media strategies that integrate email, business websites, social
networking sites, direct response webcasts, online affinity groups, and wireless
Internet appliances such as the exciting new iPad. This is a wired generation
that will stay wired as it ages, not only because the medium itself will continue
to evolve but because Boomers need to stay connected as they grow older.
Maintaining interpersonal connections becomes a core motivator during later
life.
Editor’s Note: This is a December 2010 updated chapter excerpt from

Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers: Perceptions, Principles, Practices,
Predictions by Brent Green, published by Paramount Market Publishing, Ithaca,
NY, 2006
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Special Research Report:

Silver, Social Surfers
New Research on the Attitudes of Baby Boomers & Beyond
Toward Social Media
by Todd Harff and Erin Read Ruddick
Creating Results, a strategic marketing firm focused on mature consumers, set out to take a
pulse of the mature market in regards to social media in the spring of 2010. We wanted to look
beyond all the hype and find what people 40+ really think about social media - how they use it,
or don’t use it, and what actionable insights we could provide marketers seeking to reach
mature consumers.
The pig-in-the-python that is the Baby Boom generational cohort had “officially” reached social
networks. New analysis of the composition of social network users had found that “the middle-
aged (were) Social Media’s largest shareholders,” as expert Brian Solis put it.
Had you picked up a mainstream magazine at that point, you might have thought that “social
media” was a synonym for “Facebook.” Or that technology use ended at age 64 and all 65+
seniors were either anti-social (only 6% had created a social network profile, per Pew Internet
& American Life Project) or complete Luddites.
Like other mature marketing experts, we followed the statistics and read all the reports to
understand users’ attitudes. But we were concerned that many of the studies to date were
conducted online and therefore skewed to the views of social media users. In the case of the
Silent Generation, this meant only 6% of the entire consumer group. What about the other
94%? What did they think? What would happen when you asked a wider group of matures –
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especially those not active in social networks – how they felt about these new tools and
platforms?
After hundreds of hours spent conducting and analyzing surveys, interviews and observations,
the Creating Results research team gained new insight into the attitudes of Baby Boomers and
Beyond toward social media. The following are some of the topline, preliminary findings.
Social Networks vs. Social Behavior

Marketers know that social media is far more than simply Facebook. Social media includes
tools for sharing online such as “email a friend” widgets, sites for sharing content such as
YouTube, platforms for online conversation including blogs and message boards, podcasts,
wikis …
Creating Results’ research shows that even 65+ seniors online are not anti-social at all. Even if
they aren’t active on Twitter or Facebook, they’re still sharing.
When broken down by age group, the use of comments, YouTube and email a friend widgets
decline with age. 55-65 year olds use blogs most. These leading-edge Boomers also use
message boards and user reviews the most of all cohorts. Significantly, the older you are, the
more likely you are to view email itself as a social tool (and those respondents were not talking
about Gmail or Facebook email). Good ol’ email was considered a social tool and a social
experience by 13% of all respondents and 54% of 75+ participants.
Boomers and seniors love to talk and share – online and off. Marketers should give web visitors
tools that make it easy to be friendly and share their experiences. (Of course, the tools only
come into play if the visitor discovers content that’s worth sharing.)
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Social Networking Usage

30% of all respondents said they had never tried social networking, or had tried it and quit.
Another 34% said they were “just a little” active on social networks. Younger cohorts (40-54,
55-64) were more likely to report being moderately or very active. “Older olds” were more
likely than younger matures to say they were not active social networkers at all.
We were surprised that those 55-64 generally were slightly more enthusiastic about social
networking than the 40-54 year olds who participated. The Creating Results researchers
attributed this to the younger group being comprised of many people in the “sandwich”
situation. They are so time-starved taking care of parents, children and careers that they simply
have less time to explore and experience social networking.
Consistent with other recent surveys from Pew and AARP, Creating Results found that offline
connections are the top reason for matures to try online social networks. Invitations from or
the desire to connect with family and friends motivated more than 50% of respondents.
Consistent with lifestage, the 40-54 year olds surveyed were most likely to say they’d been
motivated to join a social network by work/career. And the older you were, the more likely an
invitation from a family member got you to try the social nets.
Those who said they’d never tried social networking were asked what would motivate them to
give it a whirl. It was an open-ended question; we wanted to hear the honest opinion of the
target audience.
And their answers have great implications for marketers of products and services targeted to
older consumers. We never expected to see such a strong reaction.
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“Nothing” was the top answer of all ages, and this answer was strongest among 75+ers,
women, singles and the retired. Actually, what they said were things like:
• “You’d have to put a gun to my head”
• “It’s not my cup of tea, I prefer face to face or over the phone contact.”
• “My life is full enough with real people not to have to have fake friends online.”
Time will tell if these people who see no value in social networking come around. We couldn’t
help but wonder: are these the same people who couldn’t see the value in microwaves or cell
phones?
Social Networking Habits, Preferences

For those matures who have chosen to participate in social networking sites, researchers
delved into what they like and don’t like about these sites. While the Creating Results
preference is to look at people based on their lifestage instead of their age, it was clear that
when it comes to social media preferences, age does matter.
For instance, the youngest cohort was the age group most appreciative of how social networks
let you catch up with “old” friends. The oldest cohort, 75+, was most likely to say they liked
nothing at all about the new platforms.
Easy and quick were frequent adjectives used by those surveyed when explaining what they
liked. “It allows me to easily connect with many people who live all around the world,” said one
respondent. “It’s a convenient, quick way to get news out to a group of people,” said another.
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Social Networking Concerns – Can We Have a Little Privacy?

Privacy came up frequently in the responses. The Creating Results researchers ultimately found
there were three categories related to privacy:
 No privacy = Concerns about exposure. Typical comments:
o “I also don't like the whole notion of millions of people oversharing private or trivial info
with millions of others.”
o “Many users have a hard time separating their personal and professional lives in the
online space – with potentially damaging results.”
 Privacy/intrusion = People who are concerned about how intrusive social networks and/or
people on them are, invading their personal lives. Typical comment:
o “I don't need or want to hear from my fifth grade science partner and feel it can be
intrusive.”
 Privacy/safety = Those who are concerned about how their information is used or abused.
Typical comments:
o “I do not trust the security of social networks. Do not want others to know what and
from where I make purchases or obtain info.”
o “I do not like applications accessing my data for data mining reasons, as an example
almost any application on Facebook.”
When Creating Results looked at privacy concerns by age, 65-74 year olds were the age group
most likely to report concerns about privacy/safety, and they cited privacy concerns of all kinds
at a rate of 4x the average respondent. Singles were more likely than coupled to report worries
about privacy/safety. Addressing the various privacy concerns is critical to being able to
increase and maintain social media participation among mature targets.
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Will You Be My Brand’s Friend?

For marketers, it’s a big challenge. You’ve got a Facebook page or Twitter feed, and are trying
to convince matures to join the fun. Yet, with all these perceived drawbacks and pet peeves,
how primed do you think the mature online user is to become your organization’s FRIEND or
FOLLOWER on a social network?
Respondents were asked: Do you want companies/organizations to interact with you through
social networks? Fewer than 15% of ALL social media users who participated in the survey
would say “yes” to being a friend/follower/fan or liking your organization or business.
No one group was enthusiastic about this idea. When broken down by cohorts, the highest
percentage of those who would willingly engage with brands was among 55-64 year olds, and 4
out of 5 of them still said “no” or gave it a lukewarm “maybe.” The older the respondent, the
more firmly they fell into the “no” camp.
Among those who said “yes” or “maybe,” the top potential benefits cited for engaging with a
brand via social networks were:
 Receiving discounts, coupons or special offers
 Having one convenient channel for information – as one survey participant said, “I have
easy access to the information. I can get info from 1 or 2 sites instead of having to go to
20 or 30!”
 Being “in the know”
It’s pretty simple. If you don’t consistently give Boomers and beyond something that they
value, they won’t like/follow your brand. Even if you do, most mature online users are still
reluctant to want to engage with your organization through social networks. That’s not why
they are there.
Those who said “no” or “maybe not” were asked about potential drawbacks. The top four
reasons given for why they did not want to engage with a brand via social media were:
• Too much time
• They’re already feeling overloaded
• They’d prefer to communicate with organizations via other channels – phone, email,
corporate website
• They’re there to socialize and don’t want organizations intruding on their personal space
For marketers, this means that in order to successfully communicate with Baby Boomers and
beyond on social networks, be respectful and behave appropriately.
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Creating Results’ research illustrates how important it is for marketers to have realistic
expectations for their social marketing initiatives. Knowing who you’re talking to and what
their expectations are is a critical first step.
Full Findings In Late January 2011

The full findings of Creating Result’s “Silver, Social Surfers” research will be released in late
January of 2011. These findings can help you set realistic goals for social networking as part of
an integrated online marketing program.
In addition, the “Silver, Social Surfers” report will include results from a separate and
simultaneous national survey that explored the attitudes of Baby Boomers and beyond towards
websites. The report offers actionable insights for marketers related to web usability/design,
whether websites are seen as reflecting their generation, and what role the web plays in
mature homebuyers recent moves.
You can register to receive the research when it is released at

www.CreatingResults.com/silver_social_surfers.
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Chapter lll
Social Media Technologies
The BA|Opinion Exchange™
“With few exceptions,

there are no more The BA|Opinion Exchange™ is the first Polling Widget that can
valuable consumer gather, optimize, and monetize Boomer and Senior data from in-
segments than the Baby
content polls that appear on your website or blog.
Boomer and Senior
population.”
How Publishers Benefit:
 Monetize your online media property with comprehensive

market research.
 Receive daily, real-time consumer marketing research about
Baby Boomers and Seniors.
 Have access right from your desktop computer of a ‘virtual
stock ticker’ of Boomer and Senior consumer preferences.
69
 Deliver custom ‘unique-to-brand’ poll questions to your

clients/advertisers.
There’s a huge and hungry market for Boomer and Senior attitudinal
data!
With few exceptions, there are no more valuable consumer segments

than the Baby Boomer and Senior population. Over half of the $17B in
annual US marketing research spend is attributable to the
pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, and financial services
industries. Companies in these industries care most about older
consumers with health concerns, retirement portfolios, and heavily-
stocked refrigerators. Traditionally, these consumers were easy to
understand through basic marketing research tactics. Most were
accessible by land-based phone for surveys. Their opinions and
preferences seldom changed.
Today, however the dynamics of Boomer and Senior research are

changing. Fewer and fewer are accessible by prevailing survey
methods, due to caller ID, Do-Not-Call lists, and effective email SPAM
blocking. Meanwhile, due to increasingly pervasive 24/7 media and
rapid migration into social networks, the attitudes of Baby Boomers are
evolving dramatically and sometimes daily. The company that can
reach large numbers of Baby Boomers in daily, unobtrusive
engagements will establish a disruptive position in the marketplace,
generating millions of dollars in recurring, high-margin revenue.
The BA|Opinion Exchange™ is Powered by IntelligentQuestion™

Proprietary Technology from CivicScience, Inc.
By leveraging a proprietary polling technology called

──IntelligentQuestion™ (iQ) ── powered by CivicScience, Inc, we
enable web publishers to gather, optimize, and monetize data from in-
content polls.
iQ software can plug into your current polling application or we can

build a custom polling ‘widget’ for your site─at no cost!
iQ allows site users to:
 answer up to three questions per poll, with the first question

generated by you, the site publisher, and two questions generated
from a queue of approved Boomer-focused consumer and
demographic profile questions. Responses are appended to a unique
70
1
user profile and, over time, questions are personalized for each user
based on their response history. These attitudinal data can be used to
supplement site analytics, deliver more relevant content, and serve
more targeted ads.
 IQ allows web publishers to sell anonymous response data and

sponsored poll questions through our InsightStore™ Data Exchange. As
a participating member of the Exchange, site data can be included in
syndicated marketing research reports developed and sold by
CivicScience to third-party customers.
 What’s more, these third-parties may also, from time to time, wish to
deliver custom ‘unique-to-brand’ poll questions* to all or some of a site
audience for a fee. CivicScience sells and manages the customer
transaction and compensates the web publisher for any revenue
derived from its data or its audience. (*No questions or other content
will ever appear on a site without their expressed approval).
Monetization of Your Online Media Property
50% of all revenue will be shared with the participating member

websites.
Revenue Share Model: Every question answered on your site is ‘tagged’

in our database and attributed to your site forever. When those
answers are included in a report purchased by a third-party customer
(Syndicated Report Product), the web publisher receives a pro rata
share of the report revenue based on the number of answers the site
contributed.
Similarly, The BA|Opinion Exchange™ enables third-party customers to

deliver custom poll questions to targeted groups of users in within the
network for a per-respondent fee. iQ technology ensures that custom
questions only reach users that qualify as a target based on their
profile. When a site user qualifies for and answers a custom question,
the web publisher is compensated based on the number of
respondents they contribute.
iQ delivers one random question daily to each User, drawn from a

1,000-question survey queue, until each question is answered by a
minimum of 1,000 Users. Daily response data is made available through
the InsightStore™, where Customers can purchase a Global Data
Subscription, gaining access to the full dataset, or a Segmented Data
Subscription, gaining access to a specific subset population.
71
The Value Proposition of Research in Real Time ── How You Benefit!
The BA|Opinion Exchange™ produces daily, real-time consumer

marketing research reports about the hardest-to-reach segment in the
US. This enables brand marketers and other decision-makers to gauge
attitudes toward their brand or product on a real-time perpetual basis,
creating a ‘virtual stock ticker’ of Boomers and Seniors consumer
preferences. Data can be segmented by demographics, geography,
socio-economics, or any other characteristic captured by the iQ.
Moreover, because the BA|Opinion Exchange™ respondent pool is will

eventually be so large, respondents aren’t subjected to lengthy surveys,
and the research model is so extensive, we are able to model out
traditional sample biases and achieve industry-best margins of errors.
72
Why ‘Age-Friendly’ is the New Mantra for Business
“. . .the By Kim Walker

greatest
opportunity for Every business should be excited and concerned by the global
business lies in demographic revolution underway.
adapting
existing Many people make the short-sighted assumption that the business
products and potential of the 50+ group lies in products and services for ‘older people’.
services to While such opportunities certainly exist in this segment, it’s like thinking
meet the only about baby diapers and toys for all people under 30 years of age! It’s
changing needs a niche.
of an ageing
customer. . .” Why age-friendly?
We believe the greatest opportunity for business lies in adapting existing
products and services to meet the changing needs of an ageing customer.
Why? Because most 50+ consumers don't want products that identify
them by age. Of course they still eat, travel, entertain, educate and
‘grow’, so the key is to understand what must be done to keep products
and services relevant to consumers as they age. Understanding these
needs and integrating them seamlessly into the offering will make the
experience age-friendly and this will become a business imperative for
almost every consumer marketer.
For example, in our SilverPoll conducted amongst 170,000 50+

consumers across the Asia Pacific region in 2009, when asked: “How do
you think and feel relative to your actual age?” 39% of respondents said
they felt 5 to 10 years younger than their age. Furthermore 23% were
annoyed at being perceived by others as being older than they felt
themselves. They are indeed older, but not ‘old’.
So how can companies meet the needs of older consumers without

making them ‘feel’ older? Of course, an understanding of individual
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attitudes and behaviours is key however the physiological effects of

ageing are both relentless and universal, albeit affecting different folks at
different ages.
Companies must rethink their entire customer experience with an

understanding of the physiological effects of ageing to make the
experience ‘age-friendly’, not ‘age-defining’ and a seamless part of their
normal offering. Understanding the effects of ageing and their impact at
different stages of the entire customer journey is the fundamental
starting point in creating an age-friendly experience, and the key to
unlocking the huge potential of the 50+ market. Importantly, if done
right, this strategy can even increase relevance and avoid alienation with
younger market segments too.
But where to begin? To measure age-friendliness, we need to take a

holistic view of the customer journey measured against the physiological
effects of ageing, applied with an
overall understanding of the
psychology of ageing.
The Audit
SilverAudit™ is a process
developed by Silver Group and
Dick Stroud. It identifies 20
known physiological effects of
ageing, under the broad
headings of cognitive, physical and sensory effects to measure and
monitor age-friendliness, and help businesses understand and remove
the barriers between their products and services, and their ageing
customers.
The audit uses an online tool to capture scores of up to 150 experience

touch-points against the physiological effects, to arrive at an index of age-
friendliness. The tool also captures comments and suggestions against
the scores for the report outputs.
Some examples
A major global hotel chain wanted to understand how better to connect
with their lucrative older customers. Overall, this hotel customer journey
earned a SilverAudit™ Index of 3.2, barely acceptable. The hotel had
undergone some refurbishment under new management but clearly the
needs of older customers had been overlooked by the designers. The
decline in the sense of sight means that lighting and signage becomes
ever more important in general areas, elevators and in the privacy of the
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room. Confusing lighting and AV controls need to be simplified and not

require special study by the guest. Levered door handles and non-slip
surfaces in bathrooms need to be adopted by hotels to make them both
age-friendly and safe.
In another case, a cordless phone from a leading global manufacturer was

purchased through one of the UK’s premier supermarket chains. We
expected it to score highly, and it did. What we learned from this audit
was that based on product design and features alone, this product would
probably be ‘best in class’ but the customer journey was let down
because of the poor packaging and instructions. The changes needed
were relatively minor, the removal of unnecessary instructions and
confusing literature may even go on to save the company money.
Finally, a toothbrush from a global consumer marketing company was

purchased from a leading supermarket chain in Hong Kong. The summary
output (Table 2) shows the index was a miserable 1.8 with failings
occurring across the board both in terms of the ‘customer experiences’
and the ‘effects of ageing’. The low scores for cognitive (1.6), sensory (2)
and physical (2.3), clearly indicate barriers that need to be addressed to
make this customer journey age-neutral.
Table 2: SilverAudit™ summary output for the toothbrush
Cognitive Physical Sensory

Communications 1.7 - - 1.7
Online 1.5 - - 1.5
Phone 1 - - 1
Product 1.7 1.9 2.4 2
Retail 2 2.2 2 2.1
1.6 2 2.3 1.8
© Silver Group
Mature marketing
Today’s mature consumers are more likely to think and behave younger
than their chronological age. Marketing to them on the basis of age is
fraught with difficulty. Regardless of their attitudes and self-perceptions
of age, physiological ageing is relentless. So to ensure these highly
experienced consumers remain engaged with brands and businesses, the
entire customer journey must be age-neutral - not one that is optimised
for younger people leading to an age-friendly world.
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By making products, services and the entire customer experience ‘age-

friendly’, businesses can unlock the vast spending power of the silver
market.
Advice StrataGEMS ──
Content Marketing: Two Tools to Extend and Expand Your Reach
Integrate a Retweet tool into your blog to gain influence on Twitter. The most
popular tool is the TweetMeme Retweet Button
Use the ShareThis tool to enable readers to quickly share content over
multiple social networks.
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Twitter Productivity Tools
Here is a list of productivity tools that Team Boomer Authority™ uses to

support its Twitter engagement experience:
 Search ── We suggest Tweetscan.com (But you can also use

Summize to track conversations) to see who’s talking about you, your
brand, or a topic.
 Conversations ── Quotably, recognized as the top ‘conversation’

tracker, it threads together the discussions that Boomers and Seniors are
having by looking at the replies.
Aggregation ── Friendfeed puts all of your RSS content onto one

page, making it easy to see at a glance. You can even reply from
Friendfeed to different tools.
 Tagging Content ── For the more advance twitter marketed, you can
use the hashtag “#” to add metadata around any tweet, this becomes
more important as you rate and tag content.
 Location Based ── If you live in a particular area, and want to parse

out a specific location, this Twitterlocal filter finds tweets based upon a
users profile location.
 Alerts ── Often, people will blog about the conversations that

happen on Twitter, the conversation shifts back to blogs. See “The Rise in
Importance of Brand Monitoring” in Chapter ll.
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Listening and Observation Tools

A listing of popular social media tools to empower listening, observation,
and to gain an understanding of the Boomer and Senior online
ecosystem.
Alexa ── If you want to get a handle on the DNA of a website or Blog,

this is a good place to start. It will tell you how much traffic a site gets,
where that traffic is coming from, whether it is gaining more traction etc.
Check how a site / blog you're looking after is going. Check on the
competition. See where you need to focus more effort.
AllTop ── AllTop is an awesome resource. It’s an online magazine rack

for some of the best blogs going around. There’ a “Boomers” category.
Visit Alltop and get your URL listed.
BackTweets ── With Back Tweets simply enter a URL into the search bar
and it will return a list with every tweet that has ever contained a link or
a reference to that website. If you are running a campaign and want to
see how much traffic has been driven to the 'target' of your activity, type
it in here and you'll get an idea of how much that site address is being
shared.
Bing Real-time Twitter Search── This is a great tool for observing what's
trending at any given time. The servicefeatures real-time snippets of the
most shared links in relation a subject ── all in real-time.
BlogPulse ── One of the more popular blog-specific search tools, some
even tout it may even be better than Google's Blog search. Quickly see
who’s talking about your brand or subject.
Google Trends ── An effective tool for gathering intelligence. Google
Trends displays the frequency in which a topic or subject is mentioned in
chronological and country-by-country order. Planning on introducing a
conversation? Then run a search to see which time of year the world is
talking about that particular subject most.
Klout ── Do not get caught up in the 'influencer' debate. But this tool is
probably as close as you'll get to getting an idea of who is influencing
Boomer-centric conversations. The tool will allow you to identify who are
the key conversation drivers in the areas you are interested in.
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Social Mention ── Social Mention is an easy-to-use observation tool.

Enter a search query – a brand or a subject and you’ll get retuned
mentions across blogs, microblogs, video sharing sites, and social
networks.
Swix ── If you only use one tool, try and make it this one. It is a simple
way of tracking activity across all of your social networks and outposts
where you have set-up a presence.
Wordle ── Most people have not heard of Wordle. But if you take a test
drive, it'll likely become a favorite. Wordle creates 'word clouds' based
on the content of a blog / any site with an RSS feed. Want to creatively
present what a blog’s content is all about? This does it for you in
instantly. Particularly useful if you want to get a quick overview about
what a blogger is passionate about.
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Why are URL Shorteners Useful
URL shorteners are services that take long URLs and convert
them into short manageable links, which rarely exceed 20
characters. Owing largely to Twitter, URL shorteners have become
quite popular and a very useful social marketing tool.
Shortened links are more manageable ──

Example:
http://www.babyboomerknowledgecenter.com/2010/11/baby-
boomers-how-to-keep-you-brain-fit.html
http://bit.ly/hUP2IO
Long URLs help describe the content, but are too lengthy and not
easy to share on emails, web pages, and social media services like
Facebook and Twitter.
URL shorteners help solve the problem of making links more

manageable to share. And several providers allow you to
‘customize’ the shortened URL to describe the link.
An example of a shortened custom URL is - http://bit.ly/OnBARN -

which we use for our radio network.
Track and compile click data ── Bit.ly, for example, offers

comprehensive data in the form of click-throughs, geographic
location, and where the link was clicked, and more. This type of
information will tell you where customers are coming from, when
they are coming, and what content interests them.
Shortened URL can be transformed into social media services ──

URL shorteners work as aggregators of information. This can lead
to some useful tools and innovations in how people share and
consume content.
Promotes sharing ── You can simply fit more links and content in
less space with URL shorteners. A tweet can describe and then link
to a webpage in under 140 characters, while a full URL might not
even fully explain the content. Even more important is the rise of
mobile Internet. It’s far easier to text in a short URL than a long
one.
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Advice StrataGEM ── Listen | Learn |Contribute
Social networking is far more effective when you realize that creating
profiles and updating social networks is only a time-consuming exercise.
There’s an imprecise art and science to all of this, and the process begins
with listening, learning, and contributing.
Carefully think through and develop a list of keywords that best

represent your specific market within the Boomer space, and then use
the search box in each social network where you have staked an outpost
to see what people are talking about. As you scan the results, you’ll
identify the people who are leading conversations and the dialogue that
inspires engagement or evokes dissent. Refer to the chapters on
monitoring tools and listening and observation for a detailed look.

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Chapter lV
   Social Media Techniques for Engaging Baby Boomers and Seniors
The Social Media Style Guide for Mature Marketers ── Steps You
Need to Take to Develop a Brand Persona that Resonates with an
Older Generation
“Boomers Those of us who have worked in corporate marketing, advertising, public

and Seniors relations, and branding are all too familiar with the importance of a brand style
aren’t guide. In today’s social media ecosystem, a brand style guide applies to the
looking to largest enterprise down to the smallest two-person consulting practice to one-
earn person publishers of blogs, websites, and social networks ── even a personal
friendships brand needs to project a consistent brand image.
with cool
looking A brand style guide is assurance your brand is always represented as intended:
avatars or through graphic aesthetics and messaging – including detailed instructions on
slick logos.” the font to be used and the color schemes to be employed. Early in my business
career, one multinational company I worked used only “Helvetica” typeface. So
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strict they were that if any other typeface was published, say, in a print ad,
you’d be written up and your personal record would be noted accordingly for
the infraction.
You should think of a style book as a marketing bible and adherence to its
principles should be strictly enforced.
In today’s unstructured social media ecosystem where the rules are being
written anew every day, the brand style guide is seemingly discounted in favor
of rushing the creation of a profile page on LinkedIn or a fan page on Facebook
to empower the engagement that immediately ensues.
Everything your brand is intended to represent is no less important simply

because new tools and technologies make it easier for you to reach out and
connect with social markets. The basic content and fundamental purpose of a
brand style guide still apply. In fact, the unification of a brand and what it both
evokes and symbolizes is now even more essential in this conversational new
medium to effectively attract, earn, and inspire Boomer and Senior consumers
and empower them as your brand advocates.
In social networks, your brand and how it’s perceived, is open to scrutiny, public
interpretation and, yes, potential misconception. There must be no separation
between the brand’s voice and the brand’s personality to assure you are not at
odds with your goals, purpose, and stature.
Simply put, the style guide is an important component of the marketing plan.
Technology innovation demands it. The goal is to humanize and personify a
brand voice and persona that Boomers and Seniors can truly connect to online.
The goal of a Boomer-centric social media style guide is to establish and meet
three core objectives:
- What the brand represents in the minds of Baby Boomers and Seniors
- What are the characteristics and brand personality traits to be conveyed (and
through what social communities)
- What kind of voice should the brand project that will resonate with the 50+
demographic
Finding the right brand “voice” that resonates with the 50+ demographic is only
the beginning, however. The results you seek should be intentional and goal-
oriented in its design, calculation, and presence ── and, of course, be
consistent with the overall enterprise mission.
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Here are some ideas for structuring your own social media brand style guide:
 Brand Anchors ── Anchors are the supports that serve as the foundation to
sustain and fortify your brand. It is these anchors that establish the guiding
principles and central themes that convey your uniqueness and value
proposition.
 Brand Promise ── The value pledge paves the way to brand differentiation
and direction, and serves as the brand promise. It should answer a simple, yet
compelling question: What is your value proposition and how does it fit with
those who want to align with its purpose?
 Brand Aspirations ── No brand is an island, nor is it impersonal. The
attributes you define today must continually evolve and be refreshed. What is
your objective of the stature and mission you seek over a longer period of time,
say 3-5 years? This is how you will compete in the marketplace and provide a
durable competitive advantage in the future.
 Brand Characteristics ── Defining the brand characteristics will help you
establish the traits you wish to associate with the brand. And they can only be
represented through your actions, words, deed, and general brand behavior.
 Brand Culture ── You and your team must examine the culture of the
organization in two steps: 1] what the brand represents today; and 2] how
should you embody your goals in the future so that it is prominently identifiable
in social media ecosystem. Boomers and Seniors, to be sure, want something
they can align with, and it is your culture that serves as the beacon to draw
them in and keep them engaged.
 Brand Personality ── It is essential that you contemplate, review, and
designate the components that you wish the brand to project and represent.
This final step is to identify and bring to life the personality and character of the
brand through the conversations and stories you engage in. Think of it this way:
If the brand is a person, how would it appear? How would it sound? How would
you interact with others? How would others describe you?
As we move to the next era of the social web ── Web 3.0, as it has been
dubbed ── the brand style guide requires a renewal – a continuous reset - in
order to embody purpose, engender affinity, and earn relationships based on
trust, value, and purpose.
Boomers and Seniors aren’t looking to earn friendships with cool looking
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avatars or slick logos. They are seeking the attention of the people who
personify the brand and the corresponding values they represent and hold
dear. It’s not just the brand personality that requires examination and
establishment. The personality, tenor, and voice of the individuals representing
the brand combined with a meaningful culture and mission, contribute to the
overall brand experience ── whether it’s in social community or the real world.
The reason to create a brand style guide that appeals to an older generation is
much more than an intellectual exercise. It will renew and affirm your sense of
purpose. It is an opportunity to inject new life into everything you create,
where and with whom you share it, and how you engage in online communities
that contributes to your brand’s legacy.
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Chapter V
Trade & Professional Associations
Age Tek
Age Tek promotes the awareness, benefits and value of
products and services for our aging society while directly
benefiting its members by evolving into the world’s leading
aging-focused technology consortium.
MISSION:
To promote the awareness, benefits and value of member
products & services
 To assist in the advancement of member companies &
individual members
Methods ── By facilitating innovation through

professional development, education & standardization
of products & services by creating a vital and expanding
aging technology community.

Launched in April 2009, membership in Boomer Authority™
reached the 1,500 member plateau in November 2010, making
it the largest and only global association of its kind, bringing
together men and women from 23 countries and from every
professional discipline serving and fulfilling the needs of the
50+ Baby Boomer and Senior demographic with a wide array of
products and services.
International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA)
ICAA was founded in the belief that unifying the efforts of the
organizations focused on older adults benefits both the people
they reach and the organizations themselves. Today, the vision
is shared by over 8,200 organizations connected to the ICAA
network.
Whether retirement community, seniors center or fitness club,

all ICAA members share a common interest in reaching older
adults with active-aging messages, facilities, programs and
guidance. The ICAA supports these professionals and
organizations with education, information, resources and tools
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so they can achieve optimal success with this market.
American Society on Aging
Founded in 1954, the American Society on Aging is an

association of diverse individuals bound by a common goal: to
support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and skills
of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults
and their families. The membership of ASA is a multidisciplinary
array of professionals who are concerned with the physical,
emotional, social, economic and spiritual aspects of aging. They
range from practitioners, educators, administrators,
policymakers, business people, researchers, students, and
more.
International Mature Marketing Network (IMMN)
IMMN is the first and only global association to champion 40+

marketing.
IMMN is a non-profit consortium of marketers, advertisers,

agency execs, manufacturers, publicists, media, academics and
researchers focused on the 40+ consumer, a market of growing
size and influence around the world.
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Five National Conferences and Summits
Digital Health Summit and Exhibition (January 6-9, 2011 at Las Vegas) ── The Digital Health
Summit is an important new conference and exhibition at the 2011 International Consumer
Electronics Show. The Summit focuses on the emerging market of consumer-based digital
health and wellness devices, related applications and services - - with a special focus on
technologies for an aging population! [Frequency: Annual]
Silvers Summit and Exhibition (January 6-9, 2011 at Las Vegas NV) ── “The digital life of this
generation changes the rules about how we age” is the theme of the 2011 Silvers Summit,
which is held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show. The Silvers Summit will
showcase the products and services that keep boomers engaged, entertained and connected.
Silvers Summit will assemble companies, distributors, journalists, research firms, think tanks,
to demonstrate the products and services that will help mature consumers maintain their
high quality of life. The Conference takes place on Jan 8, 2011. [Frequency: Annual]
Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference (FBLA)

FBLC is an annual event featuring top professional from around the nation. This years
conference is scheduled for march 9-10, 2010 in Sarasota FL.
Aging in America, the 2011 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging takes place
April 26–30 in San Francisco, CA. The ASA Conference, with more than 3,000 attendees, is
recognized as a showcase for programs and projects that can be replicated, a forum for policy
discussion and advocacy, and a prime source of information on new research findings in
aging. It is the largest gathering of a diverse, multidisciplinary community of professionals
from the fields of aging, healthcare and education, along with business leaders from across
the United States.
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8th Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit

An annual summit, What’s Next is one of the most well attended of all the Booer-
focused events. In its eigth year, this year’s conferece is scheduled for April 29,
2010 in Sanfrancisco CA
Researcher’s Note: Boomer Authority™ Association maintains a Boomer

Events Calendar listing national, regional, and local seminars
conferences, teleseminars, and professional development programs
organized by its members. Click here to view calendar.
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Top Seven
Over 100 books have been authored by members of Boomer Authority™
Association on a range of topics. Very few books exist today on the
business side of marketing to Boomers. We are fortunate to have six
outstanding professionals that have published best-selling books about
marketing to Boomers.
Boomer Consumer: Turning Silver into

Ten New Rules for Gold: How to Profit
Marketing to in the New Boomer
America’s Largest, Marketplace
Wealthiest and By Mary Furlong
Most Influential
Group
By Matt Thornhill,
The New Old: How Advertising to Baby

the Boomers Are Boomers Revised
Changing Everything By Chuck Nyren
. . . Again
By David Cravit
Generation Dot Boom:

Reinvention: How Marketing to Baby
Boomers Today Are Boomers Through
Changing Business, Meaningful Online
Marketing, Aging Engagement
and the Future By David Weigelt,
By Brent Green
Vibrant Nation:
What Boomer
Women 50+ Know,
Think & Do
By Stephen Reily
and
Carol Orsborn
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Boomer|StrataGEMS™ Links Library
Attempting to curate the best available content on

the subjects of Baby Boomer marketing, social media
marketing, and state-of-the-art social technologies was a
daunting task. The wealth of information we uncovered was
as wide as it was deep. Each time we came upon a piece of
high value content we added it to the list. In short order, we
literally had hundreds of articles. To whittle down the list
we applied standards such as the known reputation of the
author, critical comments made about the content, and if
the content had a sufficient amount important takeaways
as it relates to premise of the eGuidebook.
Fluid as the advances in social media marketing are, it likely

some content has been updated with new or improved
technologies or refined marketing techniques. With this in
mind, our research staff will continually monitor new
content and have it posted to the Boomer|StrataGEMS™
blog.
Curated from the StrataGEMS Baby Boomer Marketing

Links Library
Are Baby Boomers The Unicorn In Social Media?
Baby Boomers LOVE Social Media Marketing
Does Your Social Media Campaign Target Baby Boomers
Boomers Joining Social Media at Record Rate
Reaching Baby Boomers Through Facebook
Big-spending Baby Boomers Bend the Rules of Marketing
Curated from StrataGEMS the Social Media Links Library

Ulitmate Guide to Delicious Social Bookmarking
SumbleUpon is an Amazing Marketing Tool
8 Excellent Twitter Analytics Tools to Extract Insights from

Twitter Streams
11 Myths of Social Media Marketing
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Ten Books to Help 50+ Mature Marketers

Better Understand Social Media
by Martin Diano
When I began my career in 1968, we conducted business and interacted with

customers, friends and family a lot differently than we do today. For
businesses, the big deal back then was to have an IBM Selectric Typewriter. Remember that
extraordinarily expensive piece of office equipment? The black rotary dial telephone was the
primary communications tool. Letters were typed in triplicate using carbon paper, and the little
white-out brush instead of the delete key was used to make corrections. Technology certainly
has changed.
The emergence of the Internet in the late 90s and, now, social media has forever altered the
behavior of how baby boomers engage others as both buyers and sellers; how they visit with
family and friends living in far-flung locations, and how they receive news and search for
information. Instead of one-way communication, social media means ── as has been
repeatedly referenced throughout this guidebook engagement ── conversation, cooperation
and collaboration.
I spend a good portion of my day trying to keep current with the rapid pace of change in social
media. The social media landscape is fascinating space to travel. Instead of using a typewriter,
as I did in 1968, I tool around the Internet in a fully-loaded desktop computer, outfitted with a
24 inch monitor, and surf websites and blogs with amazingly fast high speed cable access. An
ardent believer in lifelong learning, part of the process to remain on the cutting edge of new
social media trends is to read just about everything I can on the topic. I read, daily, A-list
bloggers and social media professionals like Chris Brogan, Seth Godin and Brian Solis, and
download ebooks to my computer for longer reads. I also subscribe to Pro Blogger and Web Pro
News.
I've reviewed numerous books before on social media. And, at times, have been critical of the
so-called experts on all things Web 2.0, particularly on the topic of blogging. But here's a list of
ten books that, in my view, provide mature marketers with the requisite take-a-ways essential
to be successful and enjoy the benefits social media marketing provides.
92
The ten books are (in no particular order):
Groundswell: The New Rules of

Winning in a World Marketing and PR:
Transformed by How to Use News
releases, Blogs,
Social Technologies
Podcasting, Viral
by Charlene Li and
Marketing & Online
Josh Bernoff Media to Reach
Buyers Directly
by David Meerman
Scott
Now is Gone: A Marketing to the

Primer on New Social Web: How
Media for Digital Customer
Communities Build
Executives and
Your Business
Entrepreneurs by Larry Weber
by Geoff Livingston
with Brian Solis
The New Social Media

Influencers: A Marketing: An Hour a
Marketer's Guide to Day
By Dave Evans
the New Social
Media
by Paul Gillen
The Social Media The Zen of Social

Bible: Tactics, Tools, Media Marketing: An
and Strategies for Easier Way to Build
Credibility, Generate
Business Success
Buzz, and Increase
By Lon Safko Revenue
By Shama Kabani
Success Secrets of Social Media

Social Media Marketing: Strategies
Marketing for Engaging in
Facebook, Twitter &
Superstars
Other Social Media
Mitch Meyerson By Liana Evans
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The BAMedia Contacts Directory

Compiled by Beverly Mahone – Boomer Diva Nation
Improve your productivity. Have at your fingertips who to contact for media
interviews and press releases. Turn hours of searching for the right media
resources into just minutes with the comprehensive BAMedia Contacts
Directory.
The BAMedia Contacts Directory is for:
 Public Relations and Marketing Professionals who want to give their

clients greater exposure.
 Book authors, experts, consultants, and any professional seeking to
extend their reach nationally.
Included: valuable Media Insider Tips:
 How to Build A Media Plan

 Marketing Yourself to the Media
 Finding a Hook for Your Media Release
 A digital download version is also available.
About Beverly Mahone ── Beverly Mahone, COO BAMedia, is a veteran

journalist, author, media trainer and motivational speaker. After spending more
than 25 years as a radio and television journalist, she is now using her media
expertise to train others interested in radio hosting.
Beverly currently hosts a weekly talk show on WCOM in North Carolina and has
been featured as a guest on a number of television and radio programs around
the country, as well as the New York Times newspaper. She is also a best
selling author of the book Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle
Age. To learn more about Beverly, visit her website or contact her directly
919-491-0154. Beverly is a member of Boomer Authority™ Association.
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Contributors:
Martin Diano ─ Boomer Authority™ Association
Martin is a thought leader in helping Baby Boomers use social media to find,
access, and consume high-value content. He is Founder and CEO of Boomer
Authority™ Association and Publisher of the Baby Boomer [Knowledge
Center]™. A veteran of international business, Martin has held senior staff
positions at Eaton Corporation, Thunderbird – The American Graduate of
International Management and the National Institute for World Trade. He is
Managing Partner of the social media and public relations consultancy Martin
Diano Agency LLC. A native of New York, he lives with his wife of 40-years,
Annette, in Arizona and New York.
Brent Green ─ Brent Green & Associates, Inc.

Brent is a sought-after speaker about Boomers and has provided expert
commentary for numerous news media such as The Los Angeles Times, CNN
Headline News, BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street
Journal, and The New York Times. He writes for Huffington Post, CNBC.com
and other online and traditional print media, and he discusses many
contemporary topics through his blog Boomers: a Trip into the Heart of the
Baby Boomer Generation.
Lori Bitter ─ Continuum Crew

Lori Bitter is President of Continuum Crew, an integrated communications firm
focused on engaging mature consumers, which she launched following the
closure of JWT BOOM, the nation’s leading mature market advertising and
marketing company. In 2010 Continuum Crew was named on Entrepreneur
magazine's 100 to Watch list. Lori has more than 30 years of advertising, public
relations and strategic planning experience and is the author of numerous
white papers on topics relevant to the senior and Boomer population. She is
also President of the International Mature Marketing Network (IMMN). Lori
holds a Master’s degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois, Urbana-
Champaign and is a former Associate Professor of Advertising and Public
Relations within Communications at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois.
Jim Gilmartin ─ Coming of Age

Jim Gilmartin is president of Wheaton, IL based Coming of Age, Incorporated
www.comiongofage.com. Established in 1991, the full service integrated
marketing firm specializes in helping clients to increase leads and sales in baby
boomer and older customer markets. The firm provides clients' marketing
communications, full advertising agency services and public & media relations’
services. The firm also provides clients sales and service improvement training
and turnkey Customer Loyalty/Affinity Clubs.
Jim is a frequent speaker at sales and marketing conferences,

leadership/management retreats and association meetings. He taught
marketing and management seminars at the University of Chicago and was on
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the faculty of the Bank Administration Institute’s Graduate School. He can be

reached at 630-462-7100 or e-mail him at jimgilmartin@comingofage.com.
Kim Walker ─ Silver Group

Kim Walker is the founder & CEO of SILVER (www.silvergroup.asia) a strategic
business and marketing consultancy helping companies leverage the
opportunities presented by the rapidly ageing population, initially through the
application of its SilverAudit – the first such tool created for this purpose.
Adriane Berg ─ Generation Bold LLC

Adriane Berg is the CEO of Generation Bold, a consulting firm helping industry
leaders reach boomers, caregivers and active adults, and the co-creator of
Boomer Authority™ Radio Network, and Radio Results tm, a training course for
on-line internet radio talkers. Ms. Berg is the author of 13 books on personal
finance and an Emmy Award winning host/writer of “FNN’s Tax Beat,” and
TLCs “Money Talks.” Ms. Berg was radio host of several shows syndicated on
Westwood One and heard on WABC and WMCA. Prior to entering the world of
media, Ms. Berg practiced elder law and was a founder of the National
Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Stephen Reily ── Vibrant Nation

Stephen Reily, entrepreneur, marketing expert, and active blogger, founded
VibrantNation.com, the leading online community exclusively devoted to the
influential and fast-growing Boomer demographic of smart, successful women
over 50, after researching the lack of media geared toward women 50+ and
spending years listening to women themselves identify their interests and
needs.
As a marketing professional, Stephen built IMC Licensing, a brand-licensing

agency, and is responsible for overseeing licensing strategy and relationships
with IMC’s clients, like Kraft Foods and Anheuser Busch, as well as IMC’s
business development and marketing efforts. Stephen has also published
articles in Brandweek and brandchannel.com among others and has been a
featured speaker at leading industry events, including Aging in America, Book
Expo America, the Educational Travel Conference (ETC), the Licensing Letter
Symposium, Licensing University, Marketing to Women (M2W), Silvers Summit
at CES, and What’s Next Boomer Summit.
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Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. ── Vibrant Nation

Dr. Carol Orsborn is an internationally recognized author, blogger, and thought
leader on issues related to Boomer women, adult development, and work/life
balance. Carol is senior strategist with VibrantNation.com, the leading on-line
community exclusively devoted to smart, successful women over 50. A public
relations veteran, she cofounded the first initiative by a global PR firm
dedicated to helping companies market to the Boomer generation.
A pioneer of the business and consciousness movement, Carol has written

over fifteen books on the connection between success and quality of life,
including Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer—the Baby
Boomer Woman (coauthored with Mary Brown) and The Art of Resilience.
Speaking to and for her generation, Carol has appeared on Oprah and The
Today Show, multiple times, and in the pages of People Magazine and The
New York Times, among many others. In addition, she has been a speaker at
Aging in America, Book Expo America, the Educational Travel Conference
(ETC), the Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference, PRSA’s Counselor’s Academy,
the National Conference on Positive Aging, Marketing to Women (M2W), and
What’s Next Boomer Summit.
Carol received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, studying adult

development and ritual studies, including intergenerational values formation
and transmission. She has taught ethics and values-driven leadership, serving
on the faculties of Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University’s Leadership
Development Center of the Owen Graduate School of Management, Loyola
Marymount University, and the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership
at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Educational and Psychology. Dr.
Orsborn lives in Los Angeles and Brooklyn and is a wife, mother of two adult
children, and a new grandmother.
Tom Mann ─ TR Mann Consulting

A board member of the International Council on Active Aging’s (ICAA)
Visionary Board, Boomer Authority™ Association, as well as the National Active
Retirement Association (NARA), Tom Mann is the co-founder of TR Mann
Consulting (www.TRMann.com), a marketing and advertising firm that
specializes in marketing to Baby Boomers and beyond. Tom is also the co-
founder of Mature Market Experts (www.Mature-Market-Experts.com) a free
networking group for people serving the mature market.
Todd Harff
Todd Harff leads a talented and experienced creative team that excels at
helping clients develop and implement strategic and integrated marketing
programs that motivate people 40+ (including Baby Boomers and seniors). The
programs cover “everything mature consumers experience” including:
Branding, Direct Marketing, Online, PR, Experiential and Multi Sensory
Marketing, and Advertising. These programs have helped clients generate
97
over $4.2 billion in sales.

A respected strategic marketing consultant, Todd combines market insight and
pragmatic business knowledge to produce actionable and profitable marketing
solutions. He brings a powerful perspective to help clients in a variety of
industries motivate mature consumers.
In addition to his work with clients, Todd is a published author and speaker
about marketing to the 40+ adult. He is a frequent contributor to industry
publications and has addressed national conferences on a variety of topics
related to understanding and influencing mature consumers. Todd’s
perspectives have been featured in Brand Week, Ad Age, Marketing Charts,
The Wall Street Journal and Marketing Sherpa. You can read Todd’s thoughts
on www.MatureMarketingMatters.com.
In 2009, the National Association of Home Builders hired Todd to write the
industry training course on “Marketing to Active Adults.” Todd’s expertise in
40+ and affluent marketing him to co-found a global organization dedicated to
this segment, the International Mature Marketing Network.
Erin Read Ruddick

Since joining Creating Results in 2005, Erin Read Ruddick has focused intently
on Baby Boomers and beyond. She leads the agency’s in-house training
program, the Mature Marketing Academy (featured in the Christian Science
Monitor). She chaired the marketing/communications committee for the 50+
New England Housing Council for three years.
Erin has spoken to regional and international audiences about marketing to

affluent consumers. Research Erin co-directed with 40+ consumers has been
featured in Selling to Seniors, the Journal on Active Aging, BrandWeek and
other industry publications. She’s a regular contributor to
www.MatureMarketingMatters.com. Erin counsels clients on social media
marketing and is the agency’s chief Twit (twitter-er).
Erin spent her career in PR and marketing prior to joining Creating Results. She
spearheads work for the agency’s regional and travel clients. She also led
branding and strategic marketing planning for The Village of Valemount
(British Columbia). The new Valemount logo system won a 2009 National
Mature Media Award. Erin also was a key part of the team that created the
Willow Valley Retirement Communities website, which won a 2010
international Generations Award.
98
About Boomer Authority™ Association
Launched in April 2009, membership in Boomer Authority™ reached the 1,500

member plateau in November 2010, making it the largest and only global
association of its kind, bringing together men and women from 23 countries and
“. . . a vibrant and from every professional discipline serving and fulfilling the needs of the 50+ Baby
compelling global Boomer and Senior demographic with a wide array of products and services.
ecosystem for
business Who are the members of Boomer Authority™ and what are their areas of
networking, the expertise?
exchange of ideas
and, most Members comprise encore career experts, midlife transition coaches, eldercare
importantly, for the experts, estate planning legal counselors, retirement/financial planners,
dissemination of gentrologists, educators, and literally dozens of other professions.
valuable content
about products and Our members operate some of the world’s most prominent boomer-targeted
services for 50+ digital advertising agencies, PR firms, mature marketing organizations, and
Baby Boomers and manage top national brands.
Seniors.”
Over fifty members have authored Boomer-topical books.
Among the membership, are publishers of the most successful and most visited
Boomer-centric websites, blogs and social networking communities ─ covering
topics from menopause to Alzheimer’s to aging gracefully to living abroad to
geriatric care to wealth preservation, to grandparenting to the entire spectrum
of available technologies that address the issue of aging.
The products marketed and sold by members include mobility and assistive
technologies, medical devices, fitness equipment, brain fitness software,
cognitive health products & services, digital health technologies,
pharmaceuticals, and anti-aging remedies to name but a few.
From health & wellness to travel & leisure to love & relationships, our members
provide vital content to Boomers in need of immediate advice and counsel.
Fifty-seven members host a talk radio program on AM/FM or streaming Internet

providing high-value advice to listeners from around the globe.
We these diverse areas of expertise, our tagline “Helping Baby Boomers with
Timely Advice When They Need it Most” is especially meaningful and
appropriate.
.
In our first year, Boomer Authority™ introduced a *Publishers’ Advertising
99
Network], exclusively marketed by IMedia Sales Team. Through this network of

Boomer Authority™ members, we help advertisers reach millions of monthly
unique visitors.
We created an Official Career Center with JobsOver50.com. We also finalized

strategic alliances with the International Mature Marketing Network,
SeniorCareMarketer.com, Key Life Benefits, CogniFit, and miCARD.
.
Boomer Authority™, in partnership with JobsOver50.com and ReCareer, Inc.
created a Certified Career Coach program and Directory.
The Boomer Authority™ Radio Network is a collaboration with Generation Bold.
In Canada
Boomer Authority™ is syndicating content from ZoomerMedia, Ltd and partnered
with them to expand its advertising network in Canada. Zoomer Media owns and
administers the Canadian Association for Retired Persons.
.
Education and Professional Development
In 2010, Boomer Authority™ has been a media partner at five national Boomer
business educational events and exhibitions. It is involved as a marketing/media
partner and/or sponsor with Silvers Summit in January; a Boomer Business
Summit, in March; a Boomer Lifestyle Conference in April; in May, a Boomer
Consumer Workshop in NYC; and, in June, the Boomer Venture Summit and
Business Plan Competition.
Boomer Authority™ is a vibrant and compelling global ecosystem for business

networking, the exchange of ideas and, most importantly, for the dissemination
of valuable content about products and services for 50+ Baby Boomers and
Seniors.
To view our activities, browse our member profiles, and to join, click HERE.
Membership is Free to qualified professionals.

100
   Endnotes
Be an Advice StrataGEMS Thought Leader
If you have a piece of advice to share for publication in a future volume of Boomer
StrataGEMS™ send your submission, including a one-paragraph bio and head-shot, to
MartinDiano@Gmail.com. If appropriate, include a graphic image to support the content.
Criteria for submission: An Advice Stratagem can be two paragraphs or 2000 words ── whatever it
takes to adequately convey the message. It can be something you have already written for your blog, an
excerpt from your book, or it can be original content.
An Advice StrataGEM is defined as “a Boomer-specific marketing strategy or tactic by which some

competitive advantage is intended to be obtained.”
Engage! Add a Group, Discussion Forum or Social Network
The next volume of Boomer StrataGEMs™ will incorporate suggestions from readers for adding relevant
Boomer-centric groups, discussions forums, and social networks. Send the URL and a brief description of
the site to MartinDiano@Gmail.com. Contributors will be acknowledged for their submission by name,
company and URL.
Criteria for submission: Sites must be membership based – free or paid – where Boomers and Seniors
are actively interacting and sharing information.
Add a Book to the Collection
If you have you read either a Boomer business/marketing book or one on social media marketing that
you believe should be included in the StrataGEMS Library collection, send the title and author’s name to
MartinDiano@Gmail.com (You may also provide a review of the book you are submitting.)
The Boomer|StrataGEMS™ Blog
The Boomer|StrataGEMS™ Blog syndicates high-value news, information, innovation and

research about the business of Boomer marketing and using social media to engage with an
aging population. Stay on the forward edge of what is happening. Subscribe here.
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Boomer Authority™ Association

The Most Comprehensive

Researched, Written and Edited by the Boomer Authority™ Association

Message from the Publisher 5

   Before How Comes Why: A special perspective by Brent Green, 6

author of the influential Boomer business book “Generation Reinvention”

   In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards

 Social Media in Plain English: A StrataGEMS Video Tutorial

   Social Media Boomer Engagement Tools

 What are the Rules of Engaging Boomers and Seniors?

 A comprehensive URL listing of where the Boomers and Seniors

are on Facebook, Eons, LinkedIn, and Twitter

 Using Ad Networks to Reach Baby Boomers and Seniors 22

 A Model for Meaningful Online Engagement 27

 The Public Relations Dashboard for Boomer and Senior Marketers 28

 Using Talk Radio to Engage with Boomers and Older Adults 29 1

 Be Mindful Of Life Stages 38

 Chart ── The Value Chain: Mature Consumer Model 39

 Becoming an Information Sherpa 44

 So You Want a Revolution? Target Boomers on the Internet 57

 Special Research Report: 62

   Social Media Technologies

 Boomer-centric Technology ── The BA|Opinion Exchange™ 70

 SilverAudit™ Technology ─ Why ‘Age-Friendly’ is the New Mantra for Business 73

 A comprehensive URL listing of state-of-the-art technologies to effectively and efficiently

 Twitter Productivity Tools 77

 Why URL Shorteners are Useful 80

 Advice StrataGEM ── Listen | Learn |Contribute

   Social Media Techniques for Engaging Baby Boomers and Seniors

 How-to Technology Briefs

 The Social Media Style Guide for Mature Marketers ──

Steps You Need to Take to Develop a Brand Persona

that Resonates with an Older Generation

   The Ultimate Mature Marketers Resource Directory

 Trade & Professional Associations

 Conferences, Expos & Summits 88

 Social Media Links Library 91

 Top Seven Books on Marketing and Selling to Boomers and Seniors 92

 Top Ten Books on Social Media Marketing 93

 Thought Leader Contributors to Boomer|StrataGEMS™ 95

Jim Gilmartin ─ Coming of Age

Brent Green ─ Brent Green & Associates

Lori Bitter ─ Continuum Crew

Kim Walker ─ Silver Group

Adriane Berg ─ Generation Bold

Stephen Reily ─ Vibrant Nation

Carol Orsborn ─ Vibrant Nation

Todd Harff ─ Creating Results

Erin Read Ruddick ─ Creating Results

Tom Mann ─ TR Mann Consulting

 About Boomer Authority™ Association 99

 Be an Advice StrataGEMS Thought Leader

 Engage! Add a Group, Discussion Forum or Social Network

 Add a Book to the Collection

 The Boomer|StrataGEMS™ Blog

Jim Gilmartin a marketing tactic by which some competitive advantage

Message from the Publisher

The objective of the Boomer|StrataGEMS™ eGuidebook and Resource Listing is to take a

Use this eGuidebook to help create your competitive advantage.

Martin Diano ── CEO

Before How Comes Why

Matt traveled to 42 countries in 14 months to create a 4-minute, 30-second video

generation, whether environmental, technological, or social. We can focus attention on public

Though your brother's bound and gagged

We can change the world –

   In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards

In Social Media, Engagement Reaps Rewards

Boomer Stratagems eGuideBook - Tools, Technologies & Techniques

Boomer Stratagems eGuideBook - Tools, Technologies & Techniques