Today, we dedicate this blog post directly to you, the eldest members of the household but young at heart; to those who have jumped on the technology train; to those who have become champions of YouTube and WhatsApp.
They are the new generation of grandfluencers, an English term that comes from the prefix “grand” used to refer to older people and “influencer.” Precisely for this new profile of social media users, who want to compete with the most prestigious influencers and gather a large number of followers on Instagram or TikTok, we have prepared the following advice or, as our grandfluencers would say, tips.
1.- Provide valuable content to younger generations.
You are aware that those coming after you, the Millennials and Gen Z, cook less, plant less, and sew less… all those things you did so much in the past and now they are completely unfamiliar with. That’s why you have the power to offer them interesting content: teach traditional recipes like tripe stew, French toast, or Roman-style hake on your Instagram profile; show how to maintain and cultivate a garden or plants; or teach how to mend clothes, embroider, do cross-stitch, crochet, or bobbin lace. You will gain the satisfaction of sharing your experience with younger people, and your audience will learn how to do things with the quality they were done before.
2.- Share anecdotes about how life used to be or personal memories.
We all love hearing stories from the past and imagining what life was like before. So, share your memories on your social media and tell your audience how you used to dance when you were young (they’ll be amazed at how different it was from today’s twerking), how young people used to flirt, what the fashion was like at the time, who your first partner was, or your first job. Don’t tell it all at once; dedicate one day a week to each topic and pace your anecdotes. Remember to always include photos from those times or examples whenever you can.
3.- Share your wisdom.
You have so much to offer younger people that, no matter how much you share your life and experiences with them, you will surely have things left to tell or your audience will have questions and comments they want to ask you. For this, occasionally open a Q&A session for younger followers and try to answer based on your experience. There are many ways to do this: you can do a live stream to respond to comments in real time, or you can receive private messages and answer them gradually.
4.- Join the viral trend.
If you can, team up with a nephew, granddaughter, child… and try to make viral videos. Don’t worry about finding trendy challenges, dances, or games—they will know what’s popular. Just follow their lead, have fun, and share it with your fans. There’s no better therapy than laughter, and no better laughter than when we can laugh at ourselves.
5.- Make yourself visible to those who don’t follow you yet!
To do this, you can follow accounts that interest you and brands related to the tastes or needs of older people. We also recommend interacting with other accounts and commenting on content from other grandfluencers similar to you.
6.- Raise your voice.
Demystify the downsides of being older and shout to the world that gaining years and experience also has its benefits. You can talk about and proudly share some of the advantages of being older: more time for yourself and more freedom, which will allow you, for example, to travel when flights are cheaper; you never have to worry about standing on public transport because there are reserved seats for seniors; you can enjoy special prices at cinemas or museums... and anything else you can think of. Only you have all this information, so no one knows better than you what is most interesting for other older people or their families.
7.- Stand up against injustices.
On the other hand, if you have found that advocacy is your modus operandi and this approach is working for you, use social media as a megaphone to publicly share and denounce the times you have felt discriminated against because of your age. Ageism is a reality, and those who have experienced it are the best ones to raise awareness about it.
8.- Share your emotions.
Also share a part of your life without fully exposing yourself. It’s time to try new things and share your impressions with your followers. Have you always wanted to learn to dance salsa, learn a language, or play an instrument? Do it, and then tell your community about your progress, your emotions, your joys, and also your failures. You will become the inspiration many need to take the leap and try new things.
