Elderly people using more internet through smartphones: what does your business need to do?

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Do seniors have a hard time using smartphones or technology? This information may surprise you: 66% of people aged 60 or over accessed the internet via cell phone in 2023 , which represents around 22.5 million seniors. To give you an idea, in 2016, less than one in four seniors used a cell phone to access the internet, according to data from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) by IBGE . At that time, only 24.7% of this population accessed the web via cell phone.

The Evolution of Internet Use by the Elderly
Ediney Giordani, a specialist at KAKOI Comunicação , points out that, in the late 90s, the majority of internet users were young people, and smartphones did not yet exist. However, as this same audience grew up with the internet, it was expected that the age profile would change:

“We can include in this calculation the popularization netherlands phone number database of mobile devices and more affordable internet plans. With an audience of this size, companies’ social networks need to have a language that really speaks to this more mature audience.”

Facebook is Still Relevant for the 60+ Audience
Yes, Facebook is still very relevant. A survey by Trends Group Inc. revealed that in 2018, 11% of the social network's users were over 60 years old. This percentage jumped to 67% in 2022, the year in which the survey was conducted.

Ediney Giordani reinforces the importance of companies focusing on social networks that are aligned with their audience:

“Companies need to place greater emphasis on social networks that are aligned with their audience, but remember that their followers may interact on one network and share on another. For example, 31.3% of people over 60 years old spend up to 10 hours online every day. Therefore, planning each action, each post, is important to keep this audience constantly interacting.”

Marketing Strategies to Connect with Seniors on Social Media
With so many social networks on a single device, it’s easy for someone to switch between WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Ediney offers a valuable tip for managing all these platforms:

“Among the most efficient strategies, it is worth following a calendar with special dates, creating themed promotions and knowing how to use content that speaks to your audience. There are times when a meme makes sense, others when a more informative tone is necessary. The important thing is to keep everything organized and synchronized.”