Author: Bob Bly
Available: http://www.marketing2goms.com
Website: http://www.bly.com
Cost: Free
Type: PDF; 16 page white paper
Bob Bly’s white paper, “Marketing to Grumpy Old Men,” offers solid advice on how freelance writers can use style and voice to talk to GOM (men over 50). Article writers are often called upon to market to this audience, and GOMs are easily turned off if the message isn’t tuned to them.
Bly’s top 10 tips include emphasizing reduced risk rather than writing scare tactics; using facts to prove your product is superior to all others; leveraging the GOM’s sense of entitlement; and stressing money savings and independence. Basically, men over 50 tend to be very proud of their accomplishments so far and want to keep making good decisions in the future.
Bly points out that it’s actually easier in some ways to market to men over 50. They pay attention to traditional advertising (TV, radio, print, and direct mail) and also respond to Internet marketing, especially direct email. This is a huge advantage to the writer: the audience wants you to give it to them straight, talk directly to them in a respectful way, and use multiple channels to reach them.
One thing Bly misses in his advice is the fact that grumpy old men are indeed grumpy and getting older. However, they don’t want to be reminded of either of these facts, so don’t approach men over 50 by calling them GOM or pointing out how they’re losing control of themselves.
This white paper is great reading for anyone who writes in the health or financial fields. It’s also good reading for anyone who writes FOR a man over 50–it explains a lot about why that client thinks the way he does, and how you can make your copy appealing to him.
Really good ghostwriters create personas based on the client’s voice and concerns as well as the intended audience. Use Bob Bly’s “Marketing to Grumpy Old Men” as a base guide to appeal to this marketing segment, whether you’re writing to GOMs or for a GOM. Download it from http://www.marketing2goms.com.
Read more about marketing to the 50+ crowd: The 50-Plus Market: Why the Future is Age-Neutral When It Comes to Marketing and Branding Strategies (instant download PDF, 22.46).
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When I began as a freelancer, I didn’t know how my life would change without a time clock to punch and a boss pressuring me to do more, sell more, work more for a once-a-year raise.