Baby Boomer marketing in senior living

We’ve all heard about the coming “Silver Tsunami,”the metaphor describing the huge wave of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age. But what does it really mean and how does it factor into senior living marketing?

For years, Baby Boomers have been changing what it means to grow older, and what it takes to market to them. Born between 1946-1964, they remain one of the most influential demographic groups in the U.S., with 76 million Boomers living in America today (nearly 1 in 5 people).

To understand their influence, let’s put this surge into perspective with a few key stats:

• This year, 4.2 million Americans will turn 65. That’s the largest single-year wave of new seniors in history.
• In 2026, another 4.1 million Boomers (or 11,200 per day) will reach this milestone.
• At the same time, the oldest Boomers are entering their 80s, driving unprecedented demand for senior living, healthcare, and lifestyle solutions.

Baby Boomers are entering retirement in record numbers. By 2030, all will be 65+. For senior living marketers, that means both a challenge and an opportunity.

Providers must engage two distinct audiences:

• Active seekers ready to make a move now
• And those just starting to imagine what their future could look like

To connect with both, marketing strategies need to balance immediate lead generation with long-term trust and relationship-building. That requires more than clever campaigns.

It calls for authentic marketing rooted in how this generation thinks, searches, and chooses. And it starts by understanding just how much Boomers have already adapted, especially when it comes to technology.

Baby Boomer digital behavior: a lifetime of adapting

What makes the Boomer generation particularly dynamic isn’t just their size, but their adaptability to technology. Unlike the stereotypes of being “digital laggards,” Boomers are anything but.

They have spent decades evolving with and often embracing technology that delivers real value for their work, families, and health:

• In the 1990s, when the internet became widely accessible, Boomers were in their 30s and 40s, early to mid-career, learning to navigate email and digital communication.
• By the 2000s, they were in their 40s to 60s with smartphones, adjusting to mobile-first lifestyles.
• The rise of social media in the late 2000s and early 2010s found Boomers increasingly online, using platforms like Facebook to stay connected with family and friends.
• When COVID-19 disrupted daily life, this generation was pushed to further up their digital game. With lockdowns limiting in-person visits, Boomers embraced video calls, online communities, and messaging apps to support family connections and navigate essential services virtually. What began as a necessity has since become a sustained behavior, cementing their reliance on digital communication tools.
• Today, in their 60s and 70s, Boomers are navigating the next wave: AI-driven tools, telehealth platforms, and digital-first customer experiences.

This lifelong digital evolution has reshaped how Boomers evaluate the senior living options that meet their needs. Understanding their tech fluency is essential in building their trust, delivering value, and showing up in the right channels at the right moments.

The senior living marketing connection

Selecting a senior living home is deeply personal, and most prospects need about 20 touchpoints before making a move. That gives you plenty of chances to earn their trust or lose it.

The demand curve is real. Boomers are ready.

The question is: are you showing up the way they expect?

Here are four realities shaping how Boomers make decisions, and what senior living communities must do in response:

• Sheer demand meets digital access. Decision-making increasingly begins online. From virtual tours to telehealth integrations, Boomers expect their digital experience to be clear, credible, and convenient.
• Trust, transparency, and authenticity matter. Boomers value online research but are quick to spot fluff and red flags. They want websites that provide real substance, authentic reviews, and communication that respects their autonomy.
• The dual-role influence. Older Boomers may be actively researching senior living for themselves. Younger Boomers, meanwhile, are often helping their parents make decisions while gaining early insight into their own future needs. Your marketing must account for this type of decision-making and provide resources for both scenarios.
• The long consideration window. While some Boomers are ready to make the move into senior living today, many others are just beginning to consider their journey. Marketing must blend conversion-ready CTAs with nurture campaigns that keep your brand in the conversation long after the first click.

The authenticity filter: how Boomers evaluate brands

Earlier this year, we asked 1,000 healthcare decision-makers to define what makes a message believable and authentic. The results apply to senior living as it does across all health sectors, from hospitals and health systems to behavioral health.

We used four simple questions to measure authenticity:

• Does it speak a human truth?
• Is it meaningful?
• Is it believable?
• Is it trustworthy?

Like all generations within this study, Boomers filter every message through this lens. Of the respondents, 84% said authenticity was essential or very important when choosing a provider.

So, what does senior living marketing look like when authenticity takes the lead?

Three senior living marketing strategies rooted in authenticity that meet Boomers where they are digitally, emotionally, and personally

Tell stories of real people. Share compelling resident stories that show why they chose your community and how it’s brought new meaning into their life.

• Do: let authenticity guide your messaging. Feature unscripted, first-person stories from actual residents and families. Make your content specific to your community.
• Don’t: rely on scripted testimonials or stock visuals that feel staged. Ditch generic messaging and overly corporate branding.

Optimize your digital presence. Boomers are searching. Can they find you? Make sure your community shows up in search results, starting with your website and Google Business profile. Are you on social media? You should be.

• Do: keep your listings updated, invest in SEO (no, SEO isn’t dead), and leverage social media to bring your community to life. Compliment your strategy with video storytelling on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook where personal stories resonate.
• Don’t: assume your website alone is enough or let outdated content linger. Avoid stock photos of “active seniors” or overly cheerful copy about the “golden years.” Use real photos and real stories of your residents instead (with permission, of course).

Personalize your marketing efforts to build trust. Use CRM insights to segment and serve the right message to the right person (e.g. those seeking independent living communities vs. families researching memory care options).

• Do: customize your messaging. This is a big decision. Life-changing. Make sure your tone reflects it. Empathetic, clear, honest but never pushy.
• Don’t: speak like a robot or use flashy tactics. It’s off-putting. You can make a sell without sounding like a salesman.

The bottom line

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for senior living communities. The demand curve is undeniable, but success will hinge on more than simply being visible online. It requires authentic storytelling, a trustworthy digital presence, and personalized engagement that respects the deeply personal nature of the senior living decision.

Baby Boomers are not waiting on the sidelines. They are searching, evaluating, and making choices today.

The communities that rise to meet them with clarity, empathy, and meaningful digital connections won’t just fill units. They’ll build lasting trust with a generation that still shapes America’s cultural and economic landscape.

Additional resources

The Move In Senior Living podcast

Unlock Health is a full-service marketing communications agency that helps healthcare organizations make authentic connections with patients and communities. Every minute of every day, someone books services they need as a result of our work with clients.

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