You’re making a big mistake if you’re marketing to a broad, general audience. Your conversion rate and customer relationships would be a lot stronger if you took the time to find your unique audience. One of the most effective methods of doing this is implementing generational marketing.
Generational marketing can be influential in discovering your target audience. Dig into the details of each generation, and you’ll likely find that the majority of your audience sits in one of the categories.
The first step is understanding generational marketing and why it’s essential. Then, study each generation and best practices for marketing to them. And finally, define the generation you’re targeting and do what’s necessary to reach them.
Today’s guide will help you move through each phase to find and connect with the audience made for your unique business.
What Is Generational Marketing?
Generational marketing is a marketing method that involves segmenting and targeting an audience based on the generation they’re a part of. Marketing materials and communication are tailored to generational preferences, behaviours, and desires — hoping to resonate with each generation’s individuals.
Why Is It Important?
Generational marketing is significant because each generation interacts with marketing differently.
Each generation has specific behaviours, tastes, interests, needs, desires, and ways of thinking. Each one should be accounted for if you want to make the best connection with your audience.
When you understand the generations present in your target audience, you can determine which tactics, channels, content, and marketing types are best to invest in. You can use your budget and resources wisely while generating consistent results with your marketing.
Start With Segmentation
If you’re ready to see what generational marketing can do for your business, familiarise yourself with the generations present first. Keep reading to learn about the five generations and the kind of marketing they resonate with.
The Silent Generation
The silent generation was born between 1928 and 1945. They’re the oldest generation, between the ages of 70s to mid-90s. Although they’re the seniors in our communities today, don’t discount their buying power.
They’re still purchasing products, travelling, and enjoying various life experiences. The silent generation values loyalty and respect. They’re also among the most resourceful, determined generations surviving events like The Great Depression and World War II.
What this generation responds to marketing-wise
Be as straightforward as possible when marketing to this generation, whether through imagery, video, or the written word. Traditional marketing methods, like TV, print, and direct mail, are the most effective, considering the silent generation isn’t as digitally fluent.
But that doesn’t mean avoiding digital marketing altogether. Getting engagement from the silent generation online requires extremely user-friendly interfaces, straightforward navigation, and simple content.
Prioritise face-to-face marketing opportunities too. The silent generation is likelier to visit your business in person than online. They grew up developing relationships through in-person conversations and interactions, so they’ll resonate with marketing that incorporates this.
Baby Boomers
Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. They are just behind millennials as the second largest generation group. Baby boomers grew up after World War II during economic prosperity when wages increased and businesses grew stronger.
Baby boomers value family and meaningful relationships with friends and community members. Optimism, personal gratification, and holistic health are essential as well.
In addition, many could retire during their mid-sixties after dedicating years to their careers. They’re also looking forward to enjoying themselves during these years with decent-sized retirement funds and pensions.
What this generation responds to marketing-wise
Baby boomers are more tech-savvy than most think. Lean into digital marketing methods like social media and email marketing to reach this audience. Ensure the content you create for these channels is mobile-friendly, as baby boomers spend a lot of time on mobile devices.
Helpful content will also attract baby boomers. Infographics, links to further research, digestible written content, and compelling videos will help showcase benefits and prove your product, service, or business is worth the investment.
Generation X
Generation X falls between the years 1965 and 1980. This generation is also known as the “latchkey generation.” This is because their parents (baby boomers) worked so much that their Gen X children often stayed home alone and took care of themselves.
Generation X is in the middle of their working careers — with many getting paid the most they ever have because of their experience in the workforce. Unfortunately, many Gen X individuals have relatively low levels of wealth compared to their baby boomer parents.
Core values for this generation include diversity, self-reliance, authenticity, and direct communication. Gen X also prioritises work-life balance. They’re keen on ensuring their personal life is as full as their career.
What this generation responds to marketing-wise
Keeping your messaging authentic is key in marketing to Gen X. A mix of traditional advertising methods and digital marketing techniques is a wise way to go.
Keep in mind the financial state of Generation X when marketing to them. They’re looking for high-quality products and services that are budget-friendly. Loyalty programs and rewards are attractive too.
Generation X uses technology regularly as well. So, mobile-friendly platforms that offer great digital experiences are a plus.
Millennials
People born between 1981 and 1996 are considered a part of the millennial generation. They grew up when technology started to be a part of everyone’s daily life. But still, millennials have been deemed the last generation to truly play outside and nurture their imaginations in the wonders of the outdoors.
Millennials value authenticity, flexibility, and collaboration. Health and wellness are also a big deal. So is meaningful work and consistency. And don’t forget about sustainability.
What this generation responds to marketing-wise
Millennials are more likely to support environmentally and socially conscious businesses. They’re seeking brands that put their social and environmental commitments on display.
Millennials also want experiences. They want to be submerged into an unforgettable adventure through a well-written blog post, creative visual, captivating video, or in-person event.
Millennials are digital natives. Be sure your online presence is polished and professional, as this is where they’ll go to learn about your brand and engage with it.
Gen Z
Individuals born from 1997 to 2012 are a part of Generation Z. The youngest individuals in this generation are 11 years old, while the oldest are in their mid-twenties. Members of Generation Z grew up with technology, making it an intricate part of their lives.
They’re also more socially minded and environmentally conscious than previous generations. They care deeply about issues involving mental health, environmental health, education, economic security, and racial equality.
Gen Z values stability, but at the same time, they want to enjoy life to its fullest. They’re all about self-care. And they want to live in an inclusive, diverse culture.
What this generation responds to marketing-wise
Marketing to Gen Z effectively starts with sincerely supporting causes they’re interested in. Highlight these causes in an engaging, genuine way through focused campaigns.
Because Gen Z is digitally-sophisticated, your marketing efforts should focus primarily on digital spaces and techniques. Optimise your website by making it mobile-friendly. In addition, lean into social media marketing and user-generated content.
More importantly, take the time to establish trust with Gen Z individuals. The more they trust you, the deeper your relationship will be, and the more they’ll support your brand, which leads to a higher conversion rate and increased profitability.
Which Generation Is Your Audience?
After studying each generation, the next step is identifying which primarily encompasses your target audience.
Think about the typical age range of your target audience. For example, if you’re ideal customer is between the ages of 26 and 42, your focus should be on the millennials and Generation Z. If they’re in their late 50s to 70s, baby boomers are your target generation.
It’s also good to factor in how your ideal customers think and behave. Match those thought patterns and behaviours with those in the specific generations that have them. You’ll have a fuller picture of your target audience’s generation or generations.
Tips for Reaching Your Intended Audience
Take the advice above about how to best market to your chosen generation, and pair it with the following tips to make reaching your intended audience even more effortless.
1. Do deeper research on the generation you’re targeting.
Whichever generation your audience falls under, conducting deeper research is essential. Not only do you want to collect the most up-to-date information on the generation, but you also want to ensure you know the current trends they like.
Start with a general internet search on the generation you’re targeting. Look for credible sources with the .gov, .edu, or .org domain extensions. Sites with .com domains can be credible too, but there are a lot of them out there. As such, keep looking for low-quality content like bad grammar, frequent misspellings, and generality.
Note interesting information about your generation. Write down any statistics and facts that could guide your campaigns. Document trends too.
When you identify generational marketing trends you want to incorporate, determine which are best to move forward with. You can do this with a cost-benefit analysis which can help you weigh the benefits against how much it will cost to implement the trend.
The last thing you want to do is spend a large percentage of your marketing budget on an ineffective trend. So, look at why implementing a trend would be valuable and make sure the cost of doing so makes sense for your finances.
2. Beware of generational stereotypes.
You won’t see good results from generational marketing if you offend the target people. One way to do this is through generational stereotypes. Clinging to them in your content and messaging will turn people off and put a barrier between your business and them.
Familiarise yourself with generational stereotypes related to your audience. A good example of this is, “Millennials are lazy.” Creating a campaign around how even the laziest people can use your products to their advantage might offend your millennial audience. Instead, create a campaign about millennial concerns — such as accessibility or sustainability. Not only will this appeal to millennials, but you’ll also draw in a broader audience.
Research generational stereotypes in depth. Coupling internet research with talking to actual people in each generation will give you a well-rounded view of which stereotypes affect your audience and how.
3. Determine your audience’s favourite marketing channels.
Reaching your intended audience depends largely on which marketing channels you use. You must engage your audience on the channels they frequent most. Think of generational preferences but also acknowledge those specific to your unique audience.
For example, let’s say your audience is comprised of baby boomers. In this situation, you should research marketing platforms that typically resonate with them. According to Forbes, 96% of baby boomers find products through search engine use and 95% find email marketing to be equally as effective.
So, divert your efforts to these marketing strategies — email marketing and website creation alike. For the latter, you should also deploy a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy to ensure your site reaches the top of baby boomers’ SERPs. But if you find a large portion of your baby boomer audience uses social media, incorporate this channel.
Finding out your audience’s favourite platforms is best done through data analytics. Open your data analytics tools and pull up any audience information you have. Comb through it for insights about engagement on each marketing channel. Those with high engagement should be your focus.
4. Choose the best platforms for each channel.
Aside from marketing channels, you must choose the best platforms to use for each channel to be effective.
A good example of this is illustrated with social media marketing. If social media marketing is the channel you want to go with, think about which platforms your audience engages on the most. Is it Facebook? TikTok? Instagram? Twitter? Pinterest? Twitch?
Consider which platforms will help you carry out your marketing strategy on each channel you choose. If it’s email marketing, use a top-tier email service provider like Mailchimp. Choose a website host with built-in SEO analytics tools if it’s SEO. Solid graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator is key if it’s direct mail.
Make good platform choices so your marketing efforts are effective on each channel.
5. Understand content preferences.
Content is critical in successfully implementing generational marketing and reaching your intended audience. The more you know about your audience’s content preferences, the more straightforward the content creation process will be.
Data analytics will be your best friend, like finding your audience’s favourite marketing channels. Look for information about the kind of content your audience engages with. What are the most popular topics? Do they enjoy long or short-form content? Which content types do they view most? Where do they find this content? Do accompanying visuals make a difference?
Dig into content preferences and then do what it takes to create this content to the highest quality.
6. Do what it takes to create quality content.
There isn’t a generation that won’t enjoy quality content. People will interact most with high-grade content — sharing, commenting, or clicking on links to learn more. The key is understanding what quality content is to your particular audience.
Generational factors will have a hand in what your audience deems quality. For example, while individuals in Generation Z will want compelling videos and in-depth blog posts, millennials look forward to user-generated content across various marketing channels.
Whatever it is, you must create a full-fleshed strategy for creating high-quality content. This might entail hiring a content creation team comprising content writers, editors, videographers, photographers, and SEO specialists.
Creating quality content also requires you to take your time. Give yourself and/or your team as much time as you need for each piece of content. For instance, let’s say you’re creating a video. Factor in creating scripts, hiring actors, shooting the video, and editing it when making a timeline for completion.
Publishing your content at the right time also makes a difference in reaching your intended audience.
7. Publish it at the right time.
Of course, creating quality content is imperative for any audience. But so is publishing it at the right time. What’s the use of creating content if your intended audience isn’t going to see it?
It’s essential to find out when the right time is for you to publish specific content. When to publish online content is easier to figure out when you’re tracking audience data. You can find out precisely when engagement spikes for each digital marketing channel you’re using.
On the other hand, figuring out when to put out traditional marketing materials is more complex. You’ll have to experiment until you find the sweet spot.
For example, consider a direct mail campaign. You can’t control when the flyer gets there. But you can control how often you send one. So, try sending direct mail frequently, such as once a week. Suppose that generates results, great. Stick with it. If not, try sending direct mail less often and see if that changes things.
Adjust your approach until you find what works best for your audience.
Need to Find Your Audience? Let Generational Marketing Help.
If you haven’t defined your audience yet, start the process today. A well-defined audience is a difference between consistent conversions and infrequent ones. Let generational marketing guide you to the audience most fit for your business.
Princess Kang
As a skilled member of our copywriting team, “Ji” brings a wealth of knowledge in digital marketing and strategic planning. Holding a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature Teaching, her academic prowess adds a distinctive edge to her work. Ji’s unique abilities are instrumental in enhancing organic rankings for our clients, showcasing her significant contribution to our team.
Find them on their website: sitecentre®.
