Learn from AARP’s Social Networking Strategy
As Boomers begin to enter the life stage of maximum giving, it’s probably smart to watch how AARP is communicating with its huge 37 million member constituency.
The place to begin is this case study recently presented in Direct Marketing News — AARP Adapts Its Marketing Channels.
Apart from describing AARP’s strategies, the article draws upon data from a Pew Research study released last June, Older Americans and Internet Use, which is well-worth a read in its own right.
Pew found that 53% of Americans age 65 or older use the internet or email. But perhaps most striking is the growth in use of social networking sites by this group, with 34% of online seniors now using.
As detailed in the DM News article, AARP has revamped its YouTube (8.6 million video views) and Facebook (now with more than 1 million fans) presences, in part relying upon research indicating different perceptual factors — e.g., difficulty processing distractions, movements, on-screen clutter and scene-switching — that should be taken into account in optimizing site for aging brains.
AARP has also worked to ensure that customer service is offered via its social channels … not simply using them to push out information.
Obviously AARP is not short on resources to test alternatives and figure out the best approaches to using social media with its senior constituency. And that’s precisely why we should all be watching — and stealing — what they are doing.
AARP, the ‘skunk works’ of social networking with seniors.
Tom
One response to “Learn from AARP’s Social Networking Strategy”
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I read the Direct Marketing News article, and have to add my concern about the use of FaceBook as the only social network AARP seems to be using to engage us seniors.
I agree that YouTube is great, as a one way tool for telling what AARP is doing.
I’m one of a growing number of people who are closing their FaceBook accounts. I dropped it more than a year ago, and use Google+ While not large in numbers (over 250 million is still big), I found FaceBook was deceptive, unethical, and dishonest is their online practice. I don’t miss them, & will not return.
I have seen numbers to show FaceBook is not growing in the U.S. Canada & the United Kingdom. As I talk to my acquaintances in the over 55 age group, I’m hearing many are closing their FaceBook accounts like I did.
I encourage all who are using some form of social media to start using more alternatives like Google+ over FaceBook. Google+ is steadily growing, and I find it much easier to use and follow then FaceBook.