Grandparents Day is coming up September 12th here in the United States – and it’s a great holiday to promote family portraits.

Today’s baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, totaling 78 million people born during this generation. They make up 28 percent of the current population. And statistics show they earn roughly two trillion dollars every year, control seven trillion dollars in wealth, and own 77 percent of the financial assets here in America. In other words, they have discretionary money to spend, and are willing to do so.

So instead of targeting a new family struggling to make ends meet, go to where the income is – the grandparents.

You can target grandparents in one of two ways:

1. Target a family with a brand new baby, or young children, and sell gift certificates for “Grandma and Me” or “Grandpa and Me” portrait sittings. A young family can afford a certificate for a sitting fee, and grandma and grandpa will pick up the expenses down the road after you take the portrait.

2. Or target the grandparents directly. It can still be a grandparents day promotion if you are targeting them directly. The key is to make them feel special as a grandparent, and provide quality family portraits they can’t get anywhere else.

While Grandparents Day is still 3 months away, you need to start your planning process now for some of the advertising methods. While grandparents are on board with the Internet, and over 55 year olds make the largest group joining Facebook right now, they still look to more traditional advertising methods as well. Things like:

• Sending out a postcard campaign to your local community. Get a mailing list of 50 to 70 year olds in affluent neighborhoods, or purchase grandparent lists.

• Advertise in local community newspapers. Have neighborhoods devoted to adult communities? Purchase an ad in their community newspaper. You may even work with the publisher, and get an article written on the grandparent portrait concept.

• Advertise in your local parent magazine or newspaper. Target new families with a special promotion just for them – maybe a 2 for 1 family and grandparent sitting fee.

• Talk to mom groups. Many have table opportunities at their meetings, or love special offers just for them. Put together a coupon or certificate promotion, and let them know how to buy and present the certificate to their parents.