Our firm, Love and Company, is a big believer in the power of social marketing for the boomers and seniors. We maintain a presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Why? Because the mature market is rapidly migrating there. And while the 65+ population is admittedly still just a small part of the social media population, these tools are also essential to boasting your search engine presence.

Smart mature market companies can harness the power of this cost-efficient technology with some creative advertising strategies and a small investment of time. Choosing one of the more popular social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, is step one. For examples sake, pick Facebook. The business would invite existing customers (here’s where that e-mail list is helpful) to become a fan or friend of their Facebook page. Coupons, discounts and events serve as incentives for consumers to join.

The Harvard Business Review reported on an experiment which attempted to measure the effectiveness of Facebook as a marketing tool. The results indicated a strong influence on customer behavior due to a business’s presence on Facebook, with increased store visits and sales, store loyalty and positive word of mouth. While many preexisting customers declined to follow the business on line, those that did, spent more money as a result of their online connection and became the store’s best customers. Since not all consumers opted to follow the business online, traditional marketing tactics, such as direct mail and television, remain an essential marketing tool.

The down side to free social marketing is that positive word of mouth can turn nasty, if a dissatisfied customer posts negative comments. (This can happen even to a business that is without an online presence.) Left unheeded, this can lead to real damage. But, if problems are addressed courteously and appropriately, the situation can actually increase brand loyalty. See Online Reviews Can Make or Break You for details.

Marketing to boomers and seniors doesn’t have to be boring. Some great examples of execution include: Bigelow Tea on Facebook, MySpace, and their blog; Bon Appetit Magazine on Facebook; and Carnival Cruises custom social network page. I also recommend you take a look at and utilize  Website Grader, Blog Grader, and Twitter Grader.

While getting started with a social media program doesn’t require you to be a rocket scientist, it is helpful to get some helpful advice from an experienced partner to get up and running quickly. It also requires a high degree of dedication, time and creativity to be effective. That being said, a well executed plan is a great investment.