Baby Boomers hate your mobile ads, but why?

Baby Boomers hate your mobile ads

Obviously in this day and age, smartphone web access and app-based commerce is on the rise, which means it’s more or less essential for businesses to be marketing for mobile.

Unfortunately, if your customer base is largely comprised of the baby boomer generation, or between the ages of 50 and 69, your mobile marketing probably isn’t helping you much.

It’s not because they’re not using tech

And don’t get it twisted – it’s not because the older set aren’t using digital devices. A survey by taken by eMarketer this summer shows that about 64 percent of the baby boomer generation uses a smartphone. Even 40 percent of folks over age 65 are using mobile.

Nonetheless, a recent survey by Experian Marketing Services indicates that how baby boomers use mobile differs significantly from their younger counterparts. While 53 percent of Millennials (ages 18 to 34) and 46 percent of Gen Xers (ages 35 and 49) said that “my mobile phone connects me to my social world,” only 28 percent of baby boomers agreed.

Baby Boomers were also significantly less likely than younger consumers to agree that text messages were as meaningful as voice conversations.

And while many young people use a smartphone as their primary way of accessing the web, Baby Boomers still tend to favor personal computers to get online.

If you’re targeting Baby Boomers…

Further findings by Experian show that baby boomers are not loving your mobile ads. Less than half as many baby boomers as millennials used their mobile phones to search for local deals while shopping.

Only 7.9 percent of baby boomers expressed willingness to buy products they see advertised on mobile. A measly 5.2 percent were interested in receiving ads on their mobile phones. In other words, a whopping 94.8 percent don’t want to see your ads.

If baby boomers are your customers, you might want to think twice before investing heavily in mobile marketing.

#BabyBoomers