SEO consultation and social content marketing is fun and exciting, and most of the time, clients think so, too. Most gen X-ers and Y-ers understand that social networking is digital marketing. Social media marketing is search engine optimization. Search engines see an array of authentic inbound links and take note: this website is legit.
But try explaining this concept to a baby-boomer who owns a small-town coffee shop. He takes pride in the fact that he never "needs" to go onto the Internet and thinks digital marketing is a fad.
But here's the thing: Sales are down, and he wants more exposure. When you mention Facebook, he cringes. This newfangled social media seems like it's just something kids do to pass the time. He doesn't understand how social networks could possibly help him get more coffee sales.
Clients who are resistant to using social media may need a bit more coaxing than a marketing manager who fully understands not only the "word-of-mouth" factor, but also the SEO benefits of using social media to drive natural search traffic to a website.
Show him the numbers, you say. Okay. It is now estimated that social media activity makes up five out of the top six ranking factors search engines use. That's huge! Inbound links coming from social media websites are seen as uber authentic, which means the SEO value of these links surpasses those originating from more traditional forum sites where there is less activity.
But when you try explaining all of this to someone who doesn't understand the concept of "ranking" or how search engines work, your sell falls flat, again. Faces glaze over in blank stares as you struggle to explain the concept of SEO to someone who barely ever uses a computer.
The best thing you can do in this situation is to boil it down - way down. Here are three steps to take if you see your boomer client meeting taking a nosedive:
1. Find Common Ground
First, find common ground. The client may feel defensive at this point because the conversation has been so one-sided. Try repositioning yourself as the seeker of information instead of the one who holds all the answers. Coming off as a know-it-all is a definite way to loose a client.
2. Assure the Client
Boomers are not as trusting toward young, tech-savvy marketing professionals. Because they cannot relate to the concept of social SEO, it all seems like a bunch of flim-flammery. Assure the client that you can deliver more website traffic using tried and true best-practice techniques, which involve social media activity. Assure them that they don't need to learn how to use social networks (although we all know that to stop learning is akin to death in the world of business), but it will require that the client trust you enough to hand over the reigns of his/her social accounts so that you can begin posting on behalf of the client. As long as you can get them to agree on a marketing budget, you can provide a set number of hours you can dedicate to "building an internet following" to get more visitors.
3. Conduct a Face-to-Face Demonstration
Explaining nebulous concepts to a Boomer over the phone will fail most of the time. People give up easily when they feel lost. Sit with them in person and show them how you are using social media.
Take them to a Facebook page and show them how to link a status update to a web page. Do a Google search and explain the results. See that truncated description there? That's your meta description. It's what real people read before choosing to click, or not to click. This will show them that there are, in fact, real people behind the technological razzle-dazzle of social marketing.
In a nutshell, working with Boomers is more about trust. They come from a generation when it was common to knock on your neighbor's door to ask to borrow a cup of sugar. Face-to-face contact was where it was at. If Boomers feel that texting is impersonal, imagine what they think of having "online friends" whose "likes" seem to be more valuable than gold.
Handle these clients with kid gloves, and you may see the extra investment pay off. These entrepreneurs have a lifetime more than you of experience under their belt, so they may be able to teach you a thing or two - once you win them over.
image: boomers/shutterstock