OUR NEW COLUMNIST ALAN BIRD PRESENTS US WITH SOME SURPRISING INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE CONSUMERS WHO ARE REALLY SHOPPING FOR VEHICLES ONLINE
We all like to think we know who our customers are. After all, we’re smart people; we see who’s coming in the door every day. We know how many times our websites are visited every 24 hours. We can spot trends with the best of ‘em. And we all know who is on the Internet the most, right?
I think most of us would assume that of the nearly 27 million Canadians who are online daily, most are Millennials or Generation Xers. They’re the ones most often checking out products, doing serious research, and making purchases using their ubiquitous mobile devices and tablets.
Conventional thinking would suggest they’re also the ones who have pushed the incredibly rapid spread of the web over the last decade. They’re the ones most comfortable with mobile technology.
They’re the ones you should primarily aim your digital messaging at, right?
Well, to twist the line of the late, great Phil Hartman as he famously used to shout on Saturday Night Live, “You are incorrect, sir!”
BOOMERS GROWING FASTEST
While it’s been said there are lies, damn lies and statistics, the statistical truth about which age groups are most dialed into digital might surprise you. And these stats don’t lie.
The fact is, the amazingly rapid boom in Internet use and shopping over the last dozen or so years is being driven higher, faster and further by Baby Boomers more so than by any other group. And that growth shows no sign of slowing down.
According to recent studies by the New Media TrendWatch website, 89 per cent of Canadian Boomers regularly access the Internet, compared to 99 per cent of younger Canadians. Not only that, the older segment is increasing its use of new media and devices at a steadily upward rate.
Smartphone ownership among online Boomers has jumped by double-digit percentage points since 2011, and they are now equally as likely to own a tablet as their younger counterparts.
Let’s run some numbers, shall we?
• 45.3: The number of hours the average Canadian spends online each month (the highest in the world, in fact);
• 6.5 and 8.8: The hours Canadian men and women respectively spend on social networks;
• 45: The percentage of Canadians who have smartphones;
• 93: The percentage of Canadians who go online for product information.
Given that Baby Boomers make up such a large percentage of the population of Internet users, it’s clear that surfing, shopping and socializing are activities that aren’t just confined to the young. And the days of Facebook being only for kids are so over, it’s not funny. (Hey, have you seen all the pics of my kid’s graduation? Posted them while he was walking across the stage…but I digress.)
INTERNET IS NUMBER ONE
Here’s something else that may be less surprising, but is no less significant: According to Zoomerang, the Internet is the single most important source of information for Baby Boomers when they are making major market purchases, such as automobiles or appliances.
The bottom line is the bottom line. And it’s there at the bottom line that Baby Boomers really come into their own as a group you need to reach when it comes to your digital marketing efforts. Recent surveys indicate that Baby Boomers greatly outspend other generations each year on consumer goods and services. Believe it or not, according to Forrester Research, they outspend younger adults online 2:1 on a per capita basis.
That bears repeating: Baby Boomers outspend younger adults online two to one on a per capita basis. If you’re over 50, that calls to mind another current phrase: “How do you like me now?”
So as a car dealer, what does this mean to you? Obviously, a great deal. The days of older consumers being out of touch and digitally challenged are long gone, if they ever indeed existed. Smartphones are wired into Boomer brains, too, and while they might have lost a step here and there, their fingers and thumbs can move at the speed of light.
Especially when hitting the “buy” button.
Now, I’m not suggesting for a minute that you shift all your digital marketing efforts away from Millennials and Gen-Xers to Baby Boomers. But my point is, ignore them at your peril. If you follow the money, you’ll find it leads to a lot of different places, and you need to direct your marketing likewise. Here’s the amazing opportunity for you, too. Google “Infographic on Canadian Internet usage,” and you’ll see that Canadian businesses are lagging behind consumers when it comes to e-commerce and mobile marketing. So if you want to increase your business, increase your online activity and get there first.
Best advice? Be smart — as always, know your audiences and tailor your messaging accordingly. Speak their language and give them something to relate to. And when it comes to Baby Boomers, go ahead, email blast away. Get them to like you on Facebook. Tweet to your heart’s content. Make your websites smart and relatable. Never ignore them. And never, ever take them for granted.
