Companies and Marketers are pretty tired of thinking about Baby Boomers, and of course that’s an opportunity. When I look at Web 2.0 marketing approaches I see ideal tools for Boomers.
It will take a little time, but I think particular technologies like Social Networks are more optimal for seniors than kids. Photo and video sharing, long conversations, shared interests, opportunities to meet people with similar interests.
That just doesn’t sound like the “whzup, r u a sk8tr boi” folks.
Lots of people are trying to figure out how to monetize these tools (perhaps lots of exciting adwords placement — snore). Seems to be missing the point to me. I think Social Networks will become the province of companies building communities of their customers, and sizable networks of special interest — political, social, economic, recreational, etc. Isn’t that how Web 1.0 has evolved?
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Before there was a web, there was the “beta” version of the Internet: email and usenet. Different protocols (SMTP and NNTP, respectively.) They’re still around, though vastly overshadowed by HTTP.
Usennet, in particular, provided an environment for social networking. Out of over 45,000 special interest news groups, it was nearly impossible to not find a subject you wanted to talk about, and people across the world who shared your interests. My home was absfg (alt.buddha.short.fat.guy.) We were a rowdy, irreverent bundh of buddhist-leaning smart-asses whose onl rule was “nothing is ‘off-topic.’” The group is still there, though it’s lost its former glory IMHO. I made virtual friends there, and met several of them in the flesh. And gosh, the youngest of them was at least 30 back then. How old does that make us all now?
These were largely bored sysadmins, wiling away the hours, sharing their thoughts and lives with other invisible voices–who knew where? the rest of us stumbled in by accident. There was connection, much more than the “whzup, r u a sk8tr boi” you mention.
You’re absolutely right: create spaces where people 40, 50, and 60 years old feel comfortable congregating, and you’ll have a venue to advertise directly to a demographic with considerable disposable income. People who buy new cars, not used; people who take cruises, rather than hitchhike; people who buy new computers for ther college-age kids, and later decide that they’d like an iPod, too. You get the idea. These are also the people who run businesses, rather than looking for their entry-level toehold.
Finally, we like a lot of our old music. Everything from classic rock to old-school alternative. Most of this modern stuff is junk. But we acknowledge that most of the music back then (whenever “then” was) was junk, too. I appreciate the good new stuff as much as the good old stuff (it’s just that I remember the lyrics to my songs, and can sing along in my car.)
Here’s the point: technological fads come and go, just like musical tastes. But connection and community are the foundations on which we build our lives–all of us. And any technology that fosters community will appeal to and atract users from all generations.
Fred
Fred Kepler :: May 17th, 2007
Hear, hear, Fred. It’s true that none of this is really new–there are no new social paradigms in social networking (I don’t think new social paradigms come along all that often) and not even any substantially different technology. It’s just far more accessible when it has a few hundred layers of abstraction on top of it. And of course that makes all the difference.
I’m also a geezer geek–belonged to the Osborne user group (I still have my Osborne 1), played on the internet back when you really had to work at it. It’s come a long way, and not very far at all. But it’s all still about community and simplifying access to relevant information.
It’s a good thing we’re not as old in our heads as the grey hair (or no hair) would indicate. These new toys are fun!
Billb :: May 28th, 2007
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