Traditionalists are those people who grew up in the Second World War or the Great Depression. They are considered to be a traditionalist if they were born between 1922 and 1947.

Traditionalists grew up typically working for one company and as a result, were very loyal to that company. They worked hard and they played hard. They have very traditional views.

So how do we market to traditionalists? These people are not about to take a lot of risks. They have lived over a long period of time and have seen a lot. So when you reach out to them, you are going to have to appeal to their sense of value. They usually had a good life-work balance. To market to them, you really have to look at what they really need.

I have seen stats that show that about 38% of this group are on the Internet. They are the smallest group on the Internet. But they generally present a good opportunity to market to. Traditionalists have kids as well as grand children. Many have resources to spend.

As a marketeer, you will have to show them that you value their loyalty. This could be a customer loyalty program. You engage them and recognize that in many cases, they have others in mind. Many in this group have been volunteers; so they may very well be others focused. Their family is important to them. Providing solutions for helping them and their families would be well received.

In the end, there will only be a small fraction of the traditionalists that will be accessed by social media marketing. I would recommend a combination of traditional marketing along with social media to be truly effective in your marketing efforts to this group. Whatever you do, do not ignore the fact that some of the traditionalists are looking at your social media efforts. Their opinion about you and your company will carry a lot of weight with others.

So what are your thoughts on marketing to the Traditionalists?

Catch my post on social media marketing to Baby Boomers tomorrow.