Adding audio to your websites and blog is a great way to increase the content your offer visitors. Audio provides a new communication strategy that broadens your product offerings and marketing tools and motivates purchases. Here are seven top ways audio can help to motivate purchases as an internet marketing tool. 

Audio in Internet Marketing 

1. Audio is one of the best ways to let people you may never meet in person get to know your personality. This is one of your biggest assets as the owner of a small business and audio makes it extremely easy to communicate your personality to your audience and target market group.  By listening to you, people can come to like you as a person.  Psychology shows that people will be more likely to purchase from you as a result. Use audio messages to connect with your audience and influence them to get to know and like you. Even a simple welcome message is a great start. 

2. Audio helps promote you as an expert in your field. People buy from people or companies they consider to be an authority or expert in the industry. Audio is an exceptional tool for you to use to demonstrate your authority on your niche topic as it lets you provide extended information in a short period of time.  Even 5 minutes of hearing you speak with authority has a lot of impact.  Produce how to audio messages, interviews and lessons as tools to demonstrate your authority on a topic. 

3. Audio Adds Proof.  People often make purchasing decisions based on the opinions of others. This is called using social proof. This opinion is particularly important if those “others” are people your target market respects, admires, or desire to be like. Easily tap into this social proof trigger by interviewing experts in your field and posting audio testimonials on your website. 

4. Audio is easy to produce.  Nothing beats the ease of producing an audio product.  You can use free audio software such as Audacity or purchase audio recording software to use.  Normally all you need is a good microphone that hooks right into your computer to start recording audios.  You can write out a script or talk about what you know without one.  An audio can be completed in a few minutes and uploaded to your website for your target group to hear. 

5. Audio is versatile.  You can easily take the audio you produce and create other information products.  Get the audio transcribed and you can have an ebook, book or home study program.  That means, you do the audio once and recreate it into many different, effective formats.  Learning to work with audio is a valuable tool in this modern business world. 

6. Audio is transportable. Because you can download an audio file to an ipod or other portable device, it remains one of the most popular ways to share information.  Being able to transport the audio to other areas makes it highly convenient.  Being able to listen to recordings at will when it’s convenient increases the audience base. 

7. Audio is Comforting. People love to recognize a voice.  Don’t you enjoy hearing the voice of your favorite person on the telephone? What about hearing an actor in the distance; doesn’t that peak your interest?  The same goes when people start to get accustomed to your voice.  Hearing a familiar voice can be very comforting to people.  Let people get to know you through your audios and you create a fan base, while developing and growing your business opportunities.

If you want start targeted the Baby Boomer consumer demographic in your marketing efforts and desire to develop a sustained customer base with Baby Boomers, show Boomers that you understand they are a savvy group of potential customers. When you advertise to this market group, show that you know what you are talking about and deliver a message that speaks Boomer language while addressing their interests. 

To market to Boomers means to know them. This group is young at heart and in their minds. They are sharp when it comes to technology (remember that the people who invented and pioneered the new technological concepts are now a part of the Boomer target group).  

Contrary to some popular beliefs, Boomers learn fast, think fast, and expect fast results and they are not afraid of the Internet! 

So What Marketing Message is Needed? 

To reach the Baby Boomer market, approach them with a marketing message that is honest, respectful, and sensitive to their needs.  According to the Focalyst research group, a study showed that “nearly half of the Baby Boom Generation believes there is little truth in advertising and more than 60% wish ads had more real information, suggesting that America’s advertising industry may be missing the mark in targeting the most affluent generation in U.S. History” (Advertisers fail, 2006). 

Give adequate information in your marketing to allow Boomers to make an informed decision on a topic. Review your advertising copy. Does it really give enough information to understand your product or service? Some advertisers want to be clever and end up confusing the consumer instead of making their message clear.  Baby Boomers do business with marketers who give clear, honest, informed messages about their product or service.  

Even large marketing firms make a major mistake when marketing to Boomers. Research found that “more than 70% (of Boomers) are less likely to buy a product if an ad offends them. More than 50% say there is little truth in advertising” (Advertisers fail, 2006). 

Learn to develop marketing messages that shows respect for the  diverse experiences and backgrounds of Baby Boomers.  Use techniquies that reach a market where diversity embraces differences in ethnic, cultural, gender, lifestyle, social, economic, and religious areas. Use language and a message that is sensitive and respectful to Boomer needs and desires in the market.

If someone had a billion dollars and offered to give you some, would you take the time to build up the professional reputation needed to work with that person?  Well, that’s what’s happening when it comes to the Baby Boomer consumer market.  This group is a billion-dollar market that’s open and ready to work with Boomers and others that have the prodcuts and services they seek.

So how do you develop a good reputation with this market? Here are five
tips to get your started.  

1. Never underestimate a Boomer. Develop a positive reputation by consistently presenting a high-quality product that is desired and needed by this market.   

2. Develop trust by producing and delivering what you say you will; in fact, over deliver on your promises as much as possible.   

3. Never resort to hype or lies in your marketing message.  Expect Boomers to print out your sales letter and look for the points you promised when you deliver the product. Be sure to deliver the goods or possibly expect a request to get money back.   

4. Be willing to build a personal relationship.  Boomers want to know the person they work with. Be ready to take the time and make the effort to let Boomers know you through the new avenues of Relationship Marketing.  

5. Give Them What They Want. This is the bottom line to developing a reputation as the “go-to” professional in your field with this group of consumers.

Develop the product and services this group of smart, savvy consumers wants, be totally honest, and over deliver and you’re on the way to developing the reputatio that could put money in the palm of your hands.

Are you developing information products that target areas of interest of the  billion-dollar baby boomer consumer market? If so, you are on the right track. 

• Information products are a key to doing business on the internet and Baby Boomers are a great market for these products.  Here are some critical factors to consider as you develop your information products: 
• Boomers want educational materials that have substance, not fluff. Don’t try to “fool” Boomers into purchasing something that has no relevance or is not accurate or substantial.
• Boomers want practical information products, not just a lot of theory. Make sure you are providing information that has practical application and can be used effectively.
• Boomers want education sources of the highest quality. Back your information up with correct facts and figures. Use language that speaks to the experiences of this age group by using illustrations that relate to what this group understands.
• Boomers want information that is easily accessible. These smart consumers are not afraid of the Internet and use web searches to gather quick information. Online courses and information products can be particularly attractive if the product provides solid information. 
• Because Boomers are computer savvy, information products including ecourses, ebooks, mini-courses, articles, and other quickly accessible information are attractive to this market.

However, Boomers grew up with real books and magazines.  They held some of the most famous books and magazines in their hands and may had sets of the Encyclopedia Britannia in their homes. 

So consider producing printed materials such as print-on-demand (POD) books, home study courses, and workbooks and other printed works. This information could be your ticket to a new income stream if you can produce the quality products sought by the boomer market.