Party City

Engagement with Social Media Campaigns Guest Post: Wendy Brown is the Founder and CEO of Booming Encore, a digital media platform that provides information and inspiration to help baby boomers, retirees, and seniors make the most of their lives. Wendy has a passion for aging successfully, and she is also a contributor to leading online outlets. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Overview Approximately 56% of adults aged 50+ use social media platforms. However, they have lower levels of engagement than younger users. This scenario varies with the platform and the activities in question. Facebook is by far the most popular platform for users aged 50 and over, with YouTube a distant second. Baby boomers are more likely to participate in contests and sweepstakes, while older adults prefer watching videos. Most people follow brands for promotions/discounts. Engagement is typically a function of how engaging content is. While social media campaigns are crucial to business success, many brands struggle to engage older audiences effectively. Appeal to Their Interests and Preferences Companies that create content that appeals to older adults and leverage distribution channels that target that demographic are more likely to succeed. Older adults are more interested in health and wellness, so brands that can provide useful, helpful content in this area will attract them. Moreover, older adults tend to be interested in family, so this type of content is likely to attract engagement. About 45% of consumers search for information on online courses or how-to content, and companies should meet these needs. Older users are more likely to share content on social media, so businesses should create content that will be shared. Leverage User-Generated Content Half of the value of social media—particularly for older adults—comes from user-generated content. Companies that include user-generated content in their social media campaigns are more likely to engage with this demographic. It can be challenging to create content that older people will share or enjoy, so companies should use these strategies. Ads with user-generated content are more widely shared than ads created by companies. If older adults are not engaging with a brand, the company should ask them to post content about their products or services. Involve Older Social Media Users Companies that involve older adults in their social media campaigns are more likely to engage with them. For example, the target population can help publicize a new product launch, open a sample store location, or participate in a product development brainstorming session. They can also be part of the focus group that tests a new product before its release. Older adults can also help create content for a social media campaign and share it with other users. Companies should interact with them and make them a part of the campaign. Conclusion Social media platforms are an essential tool for older adults, but businesses may not fully understand them. While this demographic prefers Facebook, they have different preferences and behaviors; thus, their engagement varies. Brands must create content that appeals to older adults and leverage user-generated content to engage them. The author suggests that companies involve older adults in social media campaigns by asking them to post content, participate in a focus group, or help develop a product. Information Source

Overall, the reviews indicate that the store is very organized and has an excellent party supply selection for special occasions and holidays. Many customers always confirm balloon bouquets they ordered online or in store and compliment it. Also, a customer stated they also received a balloon bouquet they had ordered for their mom's 50th birthday that was very beautiful arranged and well. The store appears to be newly renovated, easy to shop at and has very helpful staff. They were easy to navigate, and the staff were willing to help. Staff went out of their way to accommodate customers, even when the store was busy. One customer saw that the employees helped another customer find matching items and that they let her pay for balloons and party supplies at different times as she ran to different parts of the store to find everything she needed. A few things I need to deduce and reconstruct are customers mention that they love the store as they are very helpful and friendly. Some give examples and others just say the employees are "nice" or "friendly". A lot of customers are also very satisfied with picking up their online orders. They often say the process is straightforward, or it was clear where they needed to go to get their items. Many customers do not give a detailed description of their experience with curbside pickup or in-store pickup since then that the process is smooth. Overall, there are very few Complaints or negative reviews. Even satisfied customers can still find fault with the service they receive from Store. However, if things go wrong, some customers will leave a detailed review to help others know what to do if they have the same problem.