Rebecca Sharp Colmer of Ann Arbor, Michigan writes:
“I have just launched an online dating site for senior citizens, called SeniorSparks.com. In addition, I have just released a new book in The Senior’s Guide Series called The Senior’s Guide to Dating (Again)—Traditional and Online. Senior Sparks offers dating seminars and personalized compatibility coaching. Any ideas on how to get booked for dating seminars on a national level?”
1. This strikes me as a great topic for cruise-line seminars. No pay, but you get a lot of free cruising, practice speaking before an audience, and a group of fans that will buy books, tell their friends, etc. Target demographically appropriate cruises, of course.
2. Seems like a good topic to host a radio show, starting locally and then syndicating out.
3. Once you have some substantial credits with #1 and #2, your goal of paid speaking should be easy! You’ll have reputation, audience, following,…and leverage
BTW, I discuss the idea of building and climbing a pyramid of expertise in my book, Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World, and the idea of getting paid to do your own marketing in my newer book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First.
There are more seniors that are living longer, more women than men.
What about local church groups/clubs for the more active seniors? Not all seniors
know anything about doing anything online, but this is a very good idea for any senior who feels just because they have a few grey hairs doesn’t mean its time for a rocking chair.
Get more involved with local groups who teach seniors how to work with computers?
Other angles you might want to consider:
– Boomers are not just approaching retirement–they are also children of your target demographic. Perhaps an article for a national women’s magazine with comments from seniors and from people whose senior parents have started dating, how each generation feels about it, whether the children meddled or not, with a sidebar on “Top Five Ways to Prepare for Dating (Again)”
– There are mental health and social aspects of dating as well which might interest national nursing, counseling, personal coaching, in-home care and/or advocacy groups. Could you tailor a talk to focus on danger signs, longevity benefits, new research, ways to advise clients, etc.?
– In addition to AARP, don’t forget groups who just happen to skew over-50 and who have national events, like teacher groups, Mensa, blue-collar trade organizations, college and university alumni associations, etc.
– If there’s a religious denomination out there with a radio station on which you would feel comfortable, discussing spiritual aspects of dating, togetherness, loneliness, etc. would make for an interesting talk show!
Pitch Lifestyle reporters at major newspapers and magazines, and get their attention by being willing to discuss topics that we don’t read about frequently. For example:
—What happens if you meet the man or woman of your dreams, and your children, or grandchildren, don’t like your new sweetie? Then what?
—Any warning signs that the person behind the classified ad is trouble?
—Is safe sex as much an issue for people in their 60s and 70s as it is for the younger crowd?
—How much griping about aching joints and other health problems is too much griping on a date?
Also, find older couples who are dating and having a blast doing things like cross-country skiing, kayaking and salsa dancing. If they found each other through your service, all the better. Pitch their love stories to national magazines. Shatter the stereotype of old women in button-up sweaters and doddering geezer guys in orthopedic shoes.
Create a tips list called “10 dating no-no’s for people over 60”.
You can have a lot of fun with this one. Pitch a great story and you can work your seminar info into the story.
Usually, most hospitals have Senior “Clubs” who are always looking for speakers … and … most of those same hospitals have inhouse and/or community newsletters.
Take surveys of your users and use these to generate articles which you can issue as a press release(s)to journals and websites that have a senior audience.
I would add that I think Rebecca’s choice of dating partner, Match.com, is probably not the best – particularly the interface to their dating site requires the user to fill in a form on the site and has to fill in the form again on Match.com.
She might do better to link up with one of the senior-specific dating networks or to have her own dating system.
Regards
Paul
Editor, GrayGay.com
Great idea for a website. We focus on teaching seniors how to use computers, and an unspoken but very common desire of many of our clients is to use the internet for dating. Obviously one challenge is making things as intuitive as possible, but it seems like you’re on the right track. Good luck.