When you’re selling something that has a clear age bracket, such as arthritis treatments, birthing classes or college scholarship advising, you’re focused on messaging that is exactly right for a certain age range. But in a lot of marketing contexts, generational considerations may be overlooked.
Maybe you sell a service, such as home renovation design, that has a broad market. Or you might specialize in mortgage loan services that tend to reach people in transition to different stages of life. It’s important that audience members in each age group feel personally addressed by your marketing message.
You’re probably aware of the four dominant generations, but here’s a quick breakdown:
- Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964
- Gen X was born between 1965 and 1980
- Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996
- Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2012
Currently, Millennials are the largest market, but they still don’t have the income and buying options that career-topping, Gen X members currently do.
These age breakdowns offer an opportunity for your team to segment each market so that your audiences are receiving content that is tailored for them. Here are a few guidelines for each generation:
Boomers: Brand loyalty is an important factor with Baby Boomers. They are also more tech savvy than you may have heard, embracing online purchasing and digital marketing. They are also comfortable with traditional marketing. It’s a good idea to speak directly to this generation and avoid using slang.
Gen X: These consumers appreciate a mix of traditional and digital marketing. They also like a good discount or promotion, having lived through a recession. Gen X is more financially independent than younger generations, so they have more income to spend.
Millennials: Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are a big part of this generation’s purchasing decisions. Blogs tend to be a good content source for Millennials, encouraging them to build trust in a brand’s expertise. Millennials appreciate social media, and a good testimonial campaign is an effective way to get their attention.
Gen Z: When marketing to Gen Z, focus on visual content. While all generations appreciate video, this group is particularly interested in content that is delivered in bite-size formats, such as the short-form videos popularized by TikTok. When it comes to text, quick hits are better there, too.
Want to talk more about generational marketing? Contact us at SJC, where we are always exploring more ways to personalize messaging and get your audience engaged with a targeted approach.