Tips for Promotion
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are promoting the program.
Boomers may not think of themselves as ‘seniors’
Many Boomers do not think of themselves as ‘seniors’. This means you will need to think beyond the traditional avenues for promoting programs to seniors. For example, they may not be looking at the Seniors’ pages of your community program guide, and they may not yet be engaged with other seniors’ programs or facilities in your community. Avoid using the term ‘seniors’ in your promotions if you want to attract ‘younger’ older adults.
Use your networks
This is likely to be the most effective way to reach Boomers. Use your networks creatively. Send an email or speak to people in their 30s and 40s who attend your other fitness programs; they may have a parent who would attend. Target men and women in their fifties and sixties who have attended in the past but have dropped out. Think about other people you know in the community that you wouldn’t normally contact, but who may have contacts with Boomers.
Personalise your promotional material by including a photo of the instructor
Try to include a photo of the instructor in your promotional material: Boomers want to know who the instructor is going to be. If they have had the instructor before, they are more likely to come back for a new program if they know the same person is teaching it. Including a photo of the instructor will also help give the program a local feel, especially if you are using BCRPA promotional resources.
Use the community newspaper
Your local community newspaper is also an excellent place to promote the program. If you are a non-profit agency, you may be able to place an ad for free. If you know you are the first in your community to run a Boomer boot camp program, you may wish to consider contacting the Editor of your paper to see if they will run a story. You’ll find templates for a community newspaper ad and community media release in the Resources section.
Promote the program widely
If you want to target less active Boomers, you will need to promote the program outside of your networks and outside of your recreation or fitness facility. Here are some places that previous instructors have placed Boomer Boot Camp promotional material:
- Health centres
- Medical centres
- Doctors’ offices
- Physiotherapists
- Chiropractors
- Hospitals
- Shopping centres
- Neighbourhood centres
- Libraries
- Pharmacies
- Pools
- Blood labs
- Book stores
- Women’s clothing stores
- Shoe stores
- Park noticeboards
- Seniors’ centres
- Laundromats
- Fitness clubs
- Recreation centres
How do we get more men?
You may need to make a special effort to get men involved in your program. Here are some things you can try:
- Holding sessions in late afternoon or early evening rather than mid-morning
- Offering 2 for 1 price deals to encourage couples to join the program together
- Recruiting men through their adult children already participating in physical activity programs
- Offering free trials for men
- Offering a men’s group
Words to use, words to avoid
Use or emphasise:
- Baby Boomers
- Boomers
- Fitness
- Physical activity
- With people your age
- Strength / strong
- Energy
Avoid:
- Seniors
- Exercise
- References to losing weight
- Negative terms such as “get off the couch”
What resources are available?
In the Resources section of this website you’ll find several resources you can use as stand-alone promotional pieces, or templates to get you started. These include posters, postcards, community newspaper ad, community media release template, images, and testimonials.
|