8 Things to Know About Seniors That Can Improve Your Medicare Sales

As with any other type of sales, understanding your target demographic is the key to knowing what they want and how to provide it. If you’re focusing on Medicare plans, here are eight facts you need to know right now.

Seniors aged 65 to 69 are much more likely to use technology than older Medicare beneficiaries. Speak to beneficiaries appropriately in order to reach your target demographic. Baby Boomers are likely to respond to email or social media messaging, whereas older beneficiaries might be better reached via traditional methods like snail mail or in-person meetings.

Seniors spend more time on smartphones than other device. They spend an average of 11 hours per week on smartphones, and just 5 hours per week using tablets.

It’s not all entertainment, either. Seniors aren’t just using “screen time” for entertainment. In fact, 60 percent of their online time is related to searches, and content other than entertainment. This tells us that the over-65 crowd is attracted to technology not just for the fun benefits, but also for research and informational purposes.

Online seniors engage frequently. Of those who are online, 75 percent of seniors say that the internet is part of their daily routine, and 51 percent use surf the web multiple times per day. Those with smartphones tend to be online more than those with only computers… so if you’re blogging or running ads, make sure they’re mobile-friendly.

40 percent of adults over age 65 use at least one social media site. If you haven’t built a social media presence, what are you waiting for?

Facebook and YouTube are the two most popular social media sites among seniors. In 2019, 46 percent of seniors were using Facebook and 38 percent were using YouTube. If you’re going to build a social media following, Facebook posts and YouTube videos are the way to go.

And this one might surprise you… Seniors are gaming! Yes, nearly half (48 percent) of seniors over age 65 are playing online games. Not only is this statistic surprising; it shows us that Medicare beneficiaries are becoming increasingly comfortable with technology.

Nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries do not review or change their plans. According to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 45 percent of enrollees rarely review their options. About 35 percent think changing their plan would be too difficult. Prove to them that it isn’t, and that changing can benefit them, and you can make a sale.

These figures all add up to tell a compelling story: Seniors are using the internet much more frequently than we might believe, and they’re pretty adept at it, too! If you haven’t already, it’s time to start building a social media presence and putting together an email campaign. Go to to your audience and meet them where they feel comfortable, and in turn they will be happy to give you a few moments of their time.