WE'VE MOVED!

We are proud to announce our NEW community destination. Engage with resident experts and fellow entrepreneurs, and learn everything you need to start your business. Check out the new home of StartupNation Community at startupnation.mn.co

Having trouble reaching the older demographic. Is there a way to effectively reaching them online?

mshaikhmshaikh subscriber Posts: 1 Member
We are two students who currently live in Vancouver, and since the beaches in Vancouver only offer logs to sit on, we have partnered up with the Vancouver Parks board to rent out beach chairs and umbrellas. Last summer was quite successful, but the weather did not allow us to reach our full potential. However, a lot of locals now know about our service and a lot of them now even use our services. We partnered with a nearby restaurant to fully provide the ‘resort’ experience at home. This year, however, we are trying to introduce a membership scheme for frequent customers. The problem is that I’m having trouble reaching the older demographic, as our Indiegogo campaign, our ad campaigns and our apparel line are being promoted online since conventional ad space costs a lot. How would I reach the older demographic more effectively online?
Links:
http://www.vancouverbeachco.com/
http://www.vancouverbeachco.com/vancouver-beach-club.html
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-vancouver-beach-club/x/16151113#/

Comments

  • Ryan O'BlenessRyan O'Bleness administrator Posts: 1,137 Site Admin
    edited March 2017
    Community, here is a clickable link to their website: www.vancouverbeachco.com

    @mshaikh, from what I know about baby boomers, is that they're usually more traditional, more independent and motivated more by goals and working hard than a millennial may be. Of course, each person varies, but as a whole, those characteristics often describe the older generation. 

    Boomers also generally have a high disposable income, which is good for you because it looks like you charge anywhere from $10 to $60 for your products and packages. 

    My advice would be to do a drill-down on websites that the boomers often visit. Here is one recent blog post on websites for boomers you may find interesting. Similarly to what you're doing here, look for community forums, but ones specifically for baby boomers or older generations, such as this community. If you can find forums based around the Vancouver area, that would obviously be more ideal, but forums have people from all over the world. Possibly natives or those looking to take a vacation. 

    I would look for similar sites. Reach out to these websites for advertising opportunities. Join the communities and post about your service (without spamming it). Personalize your ads to that exact audience. Depending on which advertising platforms websites are using, they may also be able to only show the ads to users in your area as well. 

    Maybe the copy on these ads say something like: "Retired? Sounds like a perfect day to enjoy the Vancouver beaches. Check out Vancouver Beach Co. for all of your beach essentials." 

    Also, the older generation is all over social media, especially Facebook. Use those platforms to create targeted posts to the 55 and older crowd who live in Vancouver or neighboring areas, for a small fee. 

    You may also need to more clearly identify the problem of limited beach seating and position the business as the only solution in the area, or the best solution in the area. 

    Just some suggestions that may or not work.  ;)
    Ryan O'Bleness
    Community Manager
    StartupNation, LLC
  • Dmitry MitrofanovDmitry Mitrofanov subscriber Posts: 7 Member
    What do you mean by saying 'older'? How old they should be? And you say that locals rent your chairs and umbrellas. So as i understand: you already have orders and clients, but you want to get more clients. What is an average age of your current clients? And how did you get them to use your service? Are they students as you?
Sign In or Register to comment.