According to research by Forrester 60% of U.S. seniors are actively online. That equals more than 20 million online Senior Americans.
Brands that do not include the Senior demographic in their digital marketing strategy could be losing out a large amount of potential customers and increased revenues.
While Forrester research found that Seniors fell behind younger generations in owning devices and online usage, they use adapt technology to make it relevant in their everyday life.
46% of Seniors were found to use technology to stay connected with friends and family by sending and receiving photos by email and just under 50% own a Facebook account.
Many brands may not see Seniors as an obvious target for digital campaigns since they are less likely to own a smartphone or tablet than younger generations.
Yet, Seniors have numerous advantages over their younger counterparts that make them an ideal demographic to target online.
There are around 21 million Seniors online in the U.S., they have more money to spend than 18-24 year olds and are more loyal to brands.
According to Pew research, online social media usage by the Senior demographic has seen significant growth recently.
As of February 2012, 34% of internet users over the age of 65 use social media sites like Facebook, and 18% do so on a typical day.
The recent increase in Seniors using social networking sites provide brands with a golden opportunity to reach out to a demographic that is likely to be more loyal and spend more money.
63% of Seniors online agreed that once they found a brand they liked they remained loyal to it.
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