“Baby Boomers who are caring for their aging parents are more heavily reliant on sites like Facebook than boomers in general.”
We already know that boomers are the fastest growing segment when it comes to social media usage. But as it turns out, boomer caregivers, a critical audience for cardiovascular marketers, are particularly engaged.
Laurel Kennedy, president of Chicago-based multi-generational consulting firm Age Lessons, partnered with ComScore to study the online habits of 3.8 million boomer caregivers.
According to Ms. Kennedy:
- The boomer caregiver population numbers about 15.5 million out of the 78 million total boomers.
- They are split about 60/40 female to male.
- The level of care ranges from phone check-ins to live-in help.
- Seventy percent of the caregivers doing day-to-day care tasks are women.
“Think of these women as Chief Wellness Officers for their families,” she said, adding that they might also be subsidizing adult children as well as their pre-boomer parents.
They use social media for 150 minutes per month and view 70% more pages than the average internet user.
They’re driven to these sites by several primary reasons, according to the study:
- Validate and reinforce their feelings: Finding people and communities in similar situations is key for this group.
- Simplify and customize their lives: Using social media to keep up with friends and family can help keep things streamlined.
- Information and advice: They’re three times as likely as the average boomer to use sites like Yelp and Citysearch before making a purchase.
For cardiovascular marketers, these needs represent great opportunity. All three categories are relevant. Whether it’s a sudden heart attack that turns a family on end or the challenge of managing a chronic condition, a CV diagnosis gives reason to seek community, find advice and simplify life. What is your organization doing to help?
