Marketing to Multiple Generations: Numbers You Should Know

Getting the most out of your online marketing efforts can be challenging, especially when considering the needs and desires of three core generational audiences. The Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born 1965 to 1980) and Millennials (born 1981 to 1997) are all online in numbers greater than ever before; and while Millennials are expected to surpass the Boomers as the largest living generation this year, each of these segments deserve consideration when thinking about how to represent your business. But in order to effectively market online, you need the facts. Fortunately, Buzzstream and Fractl recently surveyed over 1200 individuals from these three groups to get a better idea of the similarities and differences regarding content consumption. One surprising data point is that, in spite of the stereotype of twentysomethings staring down at their phones all day, Baby Boomers are actually the ones who consume the most content. In fact, over 25% take in more than 20 hours of content on a weekly basis, compared to the 5 to 10 hours a week consumed by 22% of both Gen X’ers and Millennials. Boomers also tend to get their content on earlier in the day, most between 5 AM and noon, while younger demographics favor after work consumption from 8 pm to midnight. But these three generations find common ground when it comes to their preferred formats for consuming content. All like blog posts, images, comments and ebooks the most, in exactly that order; these groups also agree on the four least-liked categories (flip books, Slideshares, white papers and webinars), albeit in a different order. All three also agree on their preferred article word count of around 300 words; but going against preconceived notions again, Baby Boomers have the lowest tolerance for long articles, with a majority 18% saying they like posts of less than 200 words. Generation X likes to go deeper, with articles 500 words or longer being their preference. As for content sharing platforms, the top five for all generations are Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn. Though 60% over all three groups picked Facebook, it’s also been found that Generation X uses Twitter 70% more than Baby Boomers and Baby Boomers use Google Plus 92% more than the Millennials. What they’re sharing also varies. Boomers tend to stick to traditional text and photos, while Millennials are more likely to post gifs and memes instead. Developing a better idea of what your audiences are responding to online can only give you an advantage when considering how to promote your own business. If you have further questions about multigenerational online content promotion, feel free to email us at info@deksia.com or call 616-570-8111.