The Rise of the Female and Over 50 Influencer

How much do you know about influencer marketing and the role women over age 50 play in this growing industry? Influencer marketing has changed the way brands reach their target audience, and with the help of social media sites like Instagram, more companies are able to market to women in older demographics.

What is influencer marketing?

Quite simply, influencer marketing involves a brand or company partnering with an individual to share their story and drive home their brand message. Companies use influencer marketing to bring awareness of who they are and how customers can benefit from their product or service. The individual sharing the story is generally inspirational, a topical expert, or influences a large network of peers.

According to Intellifluence, there are three main types of online influencers:

Aspirational – An aspirational influencer is someone others aspire to be like or become.

Authoritative – An influence who has earned respect or recognition by being a topical expert and gaining trust among a community of fans or followers.

Peer – An influencer who is viewed as a peer. This influencer type can be very powerful.

Influencers can fall into all of these categories – they can be a peer who is both aspirational and authoritative.

The benefits of influencer marketing for marketers.

According to Social Media Today, there are a few ways influencer marketing can pay off big for brands:

A quick way to build trust – Online influencers have put in the time to build a community of trusted enthusiasts, and brands and companies can quickly tap into this circle of influence.

Increased brand awareness – Influencers that share a brand’s story increases brand awareness with visibility and reach, increasing exponentially with multiple voices.

Content enrichment – influencer content can augment a content marketing strategy and diversify brand messaging and storytelling.

Targets a proprietary audience – No more wondering if you are reaching the right audience. Influencers have already done the work by building a community of consumers around a specific interest.

Have women over 50 been ignored by marketers?

It is a fact that advertisers have ignored women over 50. Nielsen statistics show that less than 5 percent of advertising campaign money goes towards people over 50.

And this hasn’t gone unnoticed.

According to Girlpower Marketing, 53 percent of older women feel overlooked by the advertising community.

Where is the disconnect?

We aren’t sure.

According to Forbes, which cites data from the U.S. Government Consumer Expenditure Survey and Nielsen, women over 50 represent 27 percent of all consumer spending. They are the healthiest, wealthiest, and most active generation in history, have over $15 trillion in purchasing power, and control 95 percent of household purchasing decisions and 80 percent of luxury travel purchases.

Enough said.

How social media is changing things

The reach of online influencers is extraordinary, thanks to social media. An increasing number of women over 50 are leveraging social media to become influencers on Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok. These older influencers build communities around the things they love, create engaging content, and even become well-known personalities.

As senior influencers grow, more brands and companies are tapping into this industry to share their story and grow their customer base.

Meet 21 women over 50 who are top influencers on Instagram

Shauna Robertson – age 58

The fiery and engaging woman behind the style blog Chic Over 50

Angelique Miles – age 54

Fitness model and recording industry veteran

Annette Holdrich – age 55

Founder of Lady of Style, a guide to style for women over 50

Helen Van Winkle – age 92

The famous “Baddiewinkle,” social media marvel from the USA

Arlinda – age 50+

Creative director, diva, and Amazon influencer

Linda Peavy – age 55+

Owner of Cultured Curves fashionista firm

Sarah Jane Adams – age 62

From Sydney, Australia, a fashion mogul who went viral

Dawn Lucy – age 50+

American fashion blogger and high school English teacher

Haley Fox – age 50+

She is a lifestyle influencer at “Hangin’ with Haley”

Lyn Slater – age 64

University professor, model, blogger, Instagram idol

Dorrie Jacobson – age 83

Former Playboy Bunny, lingerie model, “Senior Style Bible” blog author

Eugenia Russell Hargrove – age 50+

Sept 2020 Beauty Feature, The Age of Grace creator

Jess Jannenga – age 50+

Over 50 fashion blogger, popular on Instagram

Jenny Kee – age 73

Australian fashion designer, winner of Order of Australia award

Susan from Une Femme – age 57

Fashion diva, businesswoman, blogger at Style, for Life

Jan Correll – age 60

Social media icon and influencer, a fixture on Instagram

Renia Jazdzyk – age 54

A famous native of Poland, fashion maven, icon on Instagram

Linda Rodin – age 50+

Former beauty entrepreneur, stylist, and businesswoman

Sophie Fontanel – age 50+

Style critic for a Parisian publication, fashion journalist

Grece Ghanem – age 54

Montreal, Canada native, microbiologist, lifestyle influencer

Janie Medley – age 60

Model, social media influencer, lifestyle expert, and blogger