Four Marketing Tips for Senior Entrepreneurs

Whether you've just retired or you've been out of the business game for a while, you likely understand that marketing tactics have changed drastically throughout your lifetime. Due to the rise of social media, most successful businesses use social media marketing, customer-friendly websites, and other digital marketing campaigns to their advantage. If you're worried that you won't be able to keep up with all the new digital marketing trends you haven't yet learned, don't be: According to Pew Research, more than one in four seniors over the age of 65 are now using social networking sites. If 26% of American seniors can successfully use social media, you can certainly learn to market your business in a virtual space.

1. Get to Know Your Audience

Developing an ultra-simple marketing plan should be your starting point. To do this, you must understand who you are speaking to. If you opened a small restaurant, you're marketing directly to locals. If you hope to sell your homemade goods to customers around the country, learn about your target demographic, including age, gender, hobbies, and so on. 

If you incorporate your business by using an online formation service, you can save money at tax time and avoid large lawyer fees by doing the legwork yourself. Check out ways to form your small corporation or other business structure virtually to skip the paperwork.

2. Use In-Person Networking to Your Advantage

In the age of virtual living, many young business owners go into a panic when they don't know how to market their business or network in person. As an older individual, you may see things differently. Depending on what your products or services are, ask your real-life social network for online reviews, referrals, and networking opportunities.

Try to cross-promote with nearby businesses to create coupons, deals, and incentives for locals. For example, if you own a smoothie shop, you may partner with the gym down the street to offer a discount for those who signed up for a specific yoga class.

3. Find Cheaper Ways to Run Your Business

As a small business owner or even a solopreneur, you're probably well acquainted with the art of budgeting. Look for software discounts throughout the year, try to use social media and in-person networking as much as possible, and make a realistic budget for digital ad space.

Another way to save money is with a custom invoice. At no cost, you can create a free invoice design that incorporates your branding seamlessly and speaks to your business’s values. Choose from a range of templates and modify as desired.

4. Become Better Acquainted with Social Media

Develop marketing emails and social media posts that are tailored to your target demographic and make an effort to learn about how to use social media for marketing purposes. For example, you want to connect with customers on a regular basis, but you don't want to post multiple times a day for the risk of annoying the audience you're trying to engage.

As an older person, you have experience on your side. Use what you've learned over the years, whether you had a prior career in business or not, to your advantage in marketing your new enterprise.

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This article has been contributed by Marissa Perez from BusinessPop.net. Marissa has spent the last 10 years honing her marketing skills and now she wants to share her knowledge with those who have decided to take on entrepreneurship. She co-created Business Pop to provide insight and advice to those who aspire to succeed in owning a business.

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Tags: marketing tips,small business