Boomers Command Digital Influence

Word-of-mouth has always been a great way for Rainmakers to move the needle, but digital and social media has made sharing knowledge and opinions more prevalent and powerful, making it essential for brands to understand how to harness its influence. In every product category, there are consumers who become Category Influentials. These are the people who GfK Roper defines as highly trusted, well-informed consumers who make frequent recommendations across broad social networks. And the most significant group of social influencers are not who you might think.
The Millenials (20s) grew up on Facebook and spend an inordinate amount of their waking hours on social platforms, but it's the Boomer generation consumers (47-65), responsible for 57 percent (U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey) of all consumer expenditures, who command the most trust when they share the purchases they make and the products they've tested or reviewed. From household furnishings to pets and everything in between, influential Boomers drive sales beyond their own households by publishing their own blogs, writing product reviews, commenting on product related posts and sharing their use of recently purchased products across all social media platforms. With Influentials comprising a mere 10-20 percent of all adults, but very receptive to marketing messages when making purchase decisions, savvy Rainmakers should seek out strategies to capitalize on the digital influence Boomers command.