Making content for seniors sounds like a good business.

Editor’s note: This article is from WeChat public account “New List” (ID: newrankcn) , Author Yan Chunying. Reprinted with permission.

“Ah, isn’t that Beijing Aunt?”

Out of Ditan Park, Ruan Yaqing was stopped by a group of senior tourist groups. They called her “Beijing Aunt” and scrambled to take a photo with her.

In 2017, 54-year-old Ruan Yaqing “debuted” as a host in the short video show “Aunt Beijing Has Something To Say”, and for the first time talked about “the only child’s retirement”. More than two years later, Ruan Yaqing slowly got used to walking on the street and was recognized. After retiring from the accounting position, she had a new career as an internet celebrity.

Middle and old age content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Regarding herself and other hosts, why is it popular with middle-aged and elderly people? Ruan Yaqing concluded: “I am talking about (senior) people’s voices, and these words will be rejected at home.” Her fan Chen Xiuying nodded immediately. Agree: “She said what we wanted to say.”

Bian Changyong, the founder of “Aunt Beijing has something to say” (hereinafter referred to as “Aunt Beijing”) believes this is an emotional massage. It looks like this is an “older version of Mimon”.

The second child problem, pork price reduction, health products scam, health care and rumors … Hot topics for the elderly, “Beijing aunts” have not missed one. Although it is a short video, the length of “Aunt Beijing” is often longer than 5 minutes. On the contrary, the long video performs better in the elderly. “The video is too short and they will feel confused.”

At present, there are more than 5 million followers of the “Aunt Beijing” IP matrix on the Internet. The public account “Aunt Beijing has something to say” is among the best in the new list of health accounts.

Doing content for older people sounds like a good business.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics at the end of 2018 showed that there were 249 million elderly people over 60 years old in China, accounting for 17.9% of the total population. They crossed the PC era and entered the era of the mobile Internet directly. Information acquisition channels were resolved and massive content needs Correspondingly, it lags behind the supply of high-quality content, and there is a huge gap in the middle that needs to be filled.

Fan Deng Book Club launched the senior version of this year, the annual ring school,At first glance it would seem to pay for older knowledge. However, with the advantage of offline channels of Fan Deng Book Club, the annual ring school developed 64 offline channels. Provide social and learning experiences offline, provide courses online, and form a knowledge-based education service platform.

Middle and old age content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

The founder Pan Danqing doesn’t think that what he is doing is paying for knowledge. “Middle-aged and elderly pay for knowledge is not valid. They don’t have so many new challenges and pressures to drive learning.” The annual ring school is more like a “new senior university”-an interest university with all classes, teachers, students, communities and the stage.

He hopes that the annual ring school is like a real university, so that the elderly can learn, socialize and gain a sense of value. All three are indispensable. And this one is just a supplement to a hard-to-find offline senior university.

Another business for the elderly is the “Leaving Clan” with the fire of the elderly model team in Douyin Kuai this year. Many people think this is a new short video content company, but founder Xiao Lijun revealed that the company 80% of revenue comes from cultural tourism products. Xiao Lijun started writing emotional articles for the elderly on the public account in 2014, and gained a large number of initial users. Now he is starting to travel in the main line, such as senior model teams and in-depth experience tours.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

What kind of second life do older people need after retirement? Who is providing content and stage for the elderly? The experience of these three companies may have some implications.

01. What do they do for the elderly?

When I arrived at the Le Tui company, my instructor, Hu Tao, was still conducting a selection of models for the middle-aged and elderly fashion week. Just two conversations with me were interrupted by two late male models.

They seem to be about 60 years old, the music sounds, and they walk from the rehearsal hall door to the diagonal lights in turn, point, pose, and walk back to the door.

This is the fourth year of the Leqiu ethnic group to hold a fashion week for middle-aged and elderly people. Walnut is one of the instructors in charge and the instructor of the Leqii offline model training course. Retired in 2017Later, she started working as a full-time model teacher. He is 1.76 meters tall. When he was young, his parents did n’t understand the modeling industry, so he missed the modeling road. Instead, he re-realized the modeling dream after retiring.

Most older women come to the walnut class. They take physical lessons once a week, go home and buy online courses, and review them repeatedly. Some people just want to improve their shape, and some people, like walnut, have an unfinished model dream when they are young, and finally have a chance to realize their dream after retirement.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is making content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

This is one of the main businesses of the Letos. The online courses + offline services do not belong to the traditional knowledge payment. Online content is more like a service aid, and a very necessary model for senior business.

The same is true for the annual ring school. The offline classroom provides an experience. Online courses can be re-listened multiple times. One course costs 128 yuan, and you can also buy an annual membership fee that includes 388 yuan (prices purchased from applets and Android versions). It is 99 yuan and 365 yuan respectively), the course involves anti-fraud, WeChat use, intergenerational education, mobile photography, vocal music, Tang poetry, etc.

“The memory of the elderly has deteriorated since the age, but those who want to learn well still have learning needs. Although the teacher can take the trouble to answer questions, this will cause great harm to the elderly’s self-esteem,” explained Pan Danqing. Classroom (referring to online famous teachers responsible for standardization of content and offline tutors responsible for difficult interpretation, homework and interaction) is the best solution. “

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

A typical feature is that the knowledge services for the elderly are less technical, more interesting, and focus on practicality or artistry. One type is the use of digital products, such as WeChat, Taobao, Pinduoduo, and mobile photography, and the other is an art course. After retiring, the elderly have more energy and have begun to really look at their hobbies with interest.

On the course setting page of Shanghai University for the Elderly, we see calligraphy, calligraphy, art, piano, vocal, etc., vocal and dance are usually popular majors that are easy to “second light” everywhere. The annual ring school came to Jiang Dawei to record a vocal lesson.Meet the elderly users who love vocal music; the aesthetics class is tailored to the growing needs of middle-aged and elderly aunts to wear and shoot.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is making content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Curriculum of Shanghai University for the Elderly

The biggest difference between the annual ring school, the Letou ethnic group and the university for the elderly is to provide a real display stage based on the provision of teaching services. We rediscover the classroom experience.

If education is the first stage of life-input, work is the second stage-output, then after retirement is the third stage of life-neither input nor output. At this time, the true display Space and learning spaces are what make up for their input and output needs.

Pan Danqing believes that everyone needs a sense of value. Young people can achieve self-worth in work and family, but after retirement and leisure, they need to feel sharply reduced. Then, the real stage in the physical sense becomes A stage for older people to realize value.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Bian Changyong believes that these displays are all elderly people emphasizing “I’m okay.”

“Aunt Beijing” Ruan Yaqing is very grateful to be recognized by the audience, “I can’t bear the greetings of others. If it weren’t for this show, wouldn’t you just be an old lady on the street, who would take care of you and joke you?

So, “Stars spit out the old man on the high-speed rail and get the aunt’s support.” “Leaving without self-will, isn’t it more sad?” “What causes endless sorrow and helplessness in the parents of the only child? “And other topics have received very high attention. They mind being treated as elderly people who have no right to speak, and they need someone to speak their minds.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

The other business line of Letu is also its main business, which is offline tourism. Instead of focusing on high-end, they turned to display and segmentation.

For example, when I went to Beidaihe in the first year, the theme was to recall the life of suffering, because “this generation is not easy, going to the mountains, going to the countryside, not studying, and living in a bungalow.” They feel seen. ”

This retrospective summary article swept the screen widely in the circle of friends of the elderly. Similar popular articles often focus on the characteristics of this generation, such as “The Levites around 50 ~ 60 years old-they are the last generation of people in China who have ideals, dare to play, and support China!” “Get 17,000 likes,” Empty Nest Elderly Survey: In loneliness, human dignity will be lost clean, too realistic … “Get 14,000 likes.

For older people, being seen is an urgent need.

02. What do older people think of content: love repost, high loyalty, trust acquaintance recommendations

Beijing’s aunty WeChat public account has 2 million followers, and the number of headlines reads is almost 10w + every day. There are many times when the number of reads exceeds the headline. Bian Changyong explained that because the elderly pay less attention to the account, the probability of opening is high, and it is easy to spread in the circle. Therefore, the position of tweets may not determine the reading level.

The 56-year-old Chen Xiuying follows a total of 35 public accounts. In addition to life information accounts such as banks and restaurants, new attention accounts are usually recommended by friends, but she cleans up every few days. I accidentally saw a report from Beijing Satellite TV three years ago and paid attention to Beijing Aunt. Every day after that, she will open an account and read from the headline to the last one. The weather will not change, there is good content, and she will actively share with Qunhe Circle of friends.

Middle-aged and elderly content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Chen Xiuying’s phone

The data provided by My Domain: The WeChat Life of the Elderly and the WeChat Reward of the Family shows that the average number of WeChat friends of the elderly is 104, which is one-third of the young people. Given that there are not many high-quality elderly content accounts on the market, the range of choices for elderly users is narrow, and the probability of opening an account of concern may be much higher than that of young people. In addition, for the elderly, once they have identified a content,Will show extremely high loyalty, keen to forward recommendations.

In a circle of friends with only about 100 people, the chance of being reposted will be greatly increased.

Another data shows that the proportion of family members among elderly friends is 23.1%, which is 2.38 times that of young people. In the social circles dominated by acquaintances, the probability of success in planting grass products or public accounts will also be great. Promotion.

Xiao Lijun believes that this is the unique circle culture of the elderly. They have a strong willingness to share in the circle of friends. If one person says yes, it can produce a tide-like grass-growing effect. In the Children’s Day event planned in 2017, the article quoted photos of some elderly people, and these photos were made into a good morning and goodnight expression package with a QR code. The elderly people voluntarily shared articles and photos, which brought a lot of secondary transmission.

Middle and old age content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Children’s Day planning for Letos

The tourism products of Letu people are more often spread by word of mouth of the elderly. A good event, they are willing to recommend it to everyone around, so girlfriends, sisters, friends outing groups is one of the main features of the product.

On a Xinjiang regiment, the Leto clan packs a special section to let close friends live in the same carriage. For the elderly, it is naturally more common to have free time after retirement and invite acquaintances recommended by word of mouth to travel.

During the interview, Chen Xiuying showed me the photos and small videos of her participating in the National Day rehearsal. The length was 3 minutes and the short 20 seconds. They are happy to share their living conditions with friends, and this kind of sharing and recommendation from friends, especially those who are related via the wire, is also more convincing.

This is exactly the effect that the offline service of the annual ring school hopes to achieve: like a real university, set up classes and lessons. In a semester of 10 lessons, students can become classmates and friends and expand into new ones. Social circles.

The sharing desire brought by this offline experience cannot be replaced by pure online classes, and the offline power that individual individuals in each small class can mobilize may be stronger than the online split change.

03. In addition to surfing the web, the elderly prefer to volunteer offline

Pan Danqing has always emphasized that the annual ring school is based on the positioning of “new senior university” based on interests. In addition to studying and “exams”, it is more important in the stage of associations and organizations.The university is very colorful. In addition to studying, you can do clubs, participate in student unions, start businesses, and participate in cultural performances.

In short, the university has a sufficiently diverse stage for students to demonstrate their abilities, but older universities do not provide similar spaces.

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the realization of self-worth is the upper-level needs of people after gaining physiology, respect, love, and self-esteem. After retirement, the sense of need is weakened. The elderly urgently need another stage to obtain external affirmation. . The show stage is one of them and the other is volunteer.

Lianlun Xuetang has recruited many volunteers to assist in teaching, organization and other tasks. They have a lot of time and may also play an important role in the unit before retiring. More importantly, they have experienced the Cultural Revolution and the generations who came to the countryside. Most people have a “serious seriousness.”

Middle and old age content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Volunteers of the annual ring school

Aunt Beijing has something to say that under the cable publicity team, fans can voluntarily run for the captain, and Chen Xiuying is one of them. In the past month of respecting the elderly in October, the propaganda team organized an event for respecting the elderly. The “little old people” walked into the home for the elderly and served the “old people”, while Beijing aunt only needed 2 people to organize and communicate.

“The activities organized by volunteers are better than our organization, and we ca n’t find any money to spend.” Bian Changyong believes that this is the unique characteristic of the older generation: the level of serious investment is far beyond our perception.

Middle and old age content observation (on): Who is doing content for the elderly? We interviewed three companies

Respect for the elderly activities

The tourism business of the Leto ethnic group can account for 80% of the total revenue. One of the main reasons is the support of offline volunteers. Xiao Lijun called them the Leto ethnic group. The leader is the local tribe chief and is mainly responsible for tourism. Reception and introduction in the local area.

“Go to Changbai Mountain, the patriarchs of Changbai Mountain to receive, organize a welcoming ceremony, explain the local customs, go to Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna tribal patriarchs take them to sing Miao songs and dance Miao dance”, in Xiao Lijun’s view, this is musicThe biggest difference between the retreat tourism and other offline tourism is also the company’s advantage.

For these elderly people, becoming volunteers will inevitably bring out their residual heat in a new post. Their pre-retirement capabilities and accumulated connections and resources can be reused. Many people have also participated in the Letos. The tour group, “can fulfill their host’s responsibility, they consider it an honor.” The fee ranges from RMB 1,000 to RMB 3,000 per person, including only local food and accommodation, which can greatly reduce the expenses of Letu people and create a more special consumption experience.

Pan Danqing attributed this model to “unifying all forces that can be united”, isn’t it providing a second stage for the retirement life of the elderly.

After the mobile Internet demographic dividend peaks, will senior content be a new traffic depression? Bian Changyong revealed that the traffic and advertisements of the company have improved this year. After the arrival of a deeply aging society, the voices of the elderly will be heard more and more. To nuggets the market, at least, they must be seen first.

ps, in the next part of the middle-aged and elderly content research that will be released soon, we will bring the stories of 3-5 middle-aged and elderly users, so stay tuned.