Senior Spotlight: Watch Out For The Granfluencers

Granfluencers are everything our culture wants, needs & deserves right now. 

Representation matters when it comes to age, and a recent read from PR Daily

exemplifies this clearly with regards to social media results.  You have no doubt heard of the term ‘influencer’ which refers to ‘people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic’ and as such make a major impact on other’s purchasing decisions. Typically, influencers themselves come from a younger demographic and as such, appeal to younger consumers. However, there are some big lessons to be learned from the Aura Frames company who took a leap of faith and huge step towards age inclusion by choosing to collaborate with a 65-year old influencer.

In a successful ‘collab’ with Charlotte Simpson, a retired guidance counselor and IG user @travelingblackwidow, Aura Frames experienced their best marketing results yet. Content partnered with Ms. Simpson generated 6x more engagement and 5x more conversions than any other ad types the company posted. But why?

It’s becoming more and more apparent that those aged 50 and older are largely underrepresented in the social media and influencer space. This is ironic considering that 70% of all disposable income in the US is controlled by Baby Boomers. They also spend 15 hours or more online per week and account for more internet spending each year than their younger counterparts which equates to $7 billion dollars annually!

Many brands and industries wrongfully assume that those aged 50 and older don’t have the desire or aptitude to learn new tech. But in actuality, older adults are not only becoming more tech-savvy, but using tech to showcase their own lifestyles and brand preferences. Coupled with active lifestyles, diverse interests and hobbies (travel, dining, fitness, tech) and more time on their hands than many career building generations, retirees represent some truly untapped potential when it comes to understanding what consumers want, need and deserve. PR Daily denotes that timing has been key to the growing success of ‘granfluencer’ [grandparents + influencer] partnerships.

“This all comes at a time when people are craving authenticity after years of perfectly curated content. The challenges posed by 2020—an ongoing pandemic, economic instability, a tumultuous election, protests against police brutality, and a non-stop news cycle—have made traditional, flashy influencer content incongruous with the harsh realities many Americans are facing.”

As someone who has dedicated decades of my career focused on the unique wants and needs of older adults, I am thrilled to finally see our older generations get the attention they deserve! There is no doubt that seniors have driven changes, innovations and advances for years. By entering the virtual, social space, their expertise can now be used to make every voice heard, every face shown and every age count.

Never underestimate the power of a granfluencer. You never know how they will impact our lives and our choices next!