When looking to create or update the branding strategy for your business, it’s always important to take every demographic into consideration. According to the International Council of Active Aging (ICAA), the majority of adults over the age of 55 feel that advertising does not reflect their current lifestyle, and they are turned off by marketing messages targeted to them. Better Business Bureau is reminding business owners to include our nation’s aging population in their branding and marketing campaigns.

Creating ads that work is one of the top goals for all businesses. And while many boomers are much more apt to rely on referrals than the younger generation, 90% of adults 50 and older also rely on and comfortably use email, according to ICAA. Forrester Research found that 49% of consumers who are 66 or older rely on personal emails to direct them to sites, compared to 28% of non-seniors.

One of the problems in today’s marketing world is the fact that many businesses don’t even have a viable strategy for targeting the nation’s 77 million "baby boomers," ICAA notes. When creating or sprucing up your branding strategy, the best way to make sure that it doesn’t neglect the aging population is to get input from them directly.

Better Business Bureau and ICAA recommend the following 6 steps to businesses that are looking to make their branding strategy more baby boomer friendly:

Create ads that work. Don’t assume that you’ll reach the aging population by default. Actively design ads to portray baby boomers in a positive, uplifting light. Don’t use negative stereotypes of older adults to humor younger audiences.

Deliver the message effectively. Tell a story instead of lecturing. Let your ad elicit emotions and tug at the heart strings of your audience. Help your audience with comprehension by breaking up lengthy facts into short snippets.

Use terms that work. The key to tugging at the hearts and minds of older adults is to speak their language. Every word counts. Business owners should focus their advertising using language that implies health, well-being, and productivity.

Focus your ad photos using realistic images. According to a recent study by AARP, researchers discovered that images showing exercise that looks like too much work turns off older adults. Grimacing, sweaty, straining models won’t entice many 50-plus adults to become engaged. Make sure your business branding strategy uses images that are both realistic and fun. Baby boomers are more likely to engage with your brand if they feel accurately represented.

For more business tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org, and for more information on engaging the aging population visit International Council of Active Aging, www.icaa.cc.