Generational Marketing: How to Connect with Your Audience
One of the most important tasks of marketers is to find the best way to target potential buyers, grab their attention and retain them as loyal customers in the future. The key to success in this undertaking is using a tailor-made approach that best resonates with the target audience. This is achieved by segmentation based on different factors. One of the tools to use is the generational marketing, which separates the target groups based on their age and uses marketing channels and content appropriate for each group.
What is generational marketing?
Basically, in generational marketing the target audience is segmented according to the generation it belongs to. You market the products and services to a specific group based on the generation it belongs to and its specific preferences, upbringing and attitude. The aim is to send tailored messages that are customized to the specific age group in order to achieve the highest possible results. As a result, you get a competitive advantage by showing your customers that you understand their individual needs and that you are ready to meet them by offering the right service that matches their preferences.
4 generations to focus on
Currently, there are six living generations that are a possible target audience for the marketers:
- GI Generation - born between 1901 and 1926
- Silent Generation - born between 1927 and 1945
- Baby Boomers - born between 1946 and 1964
- Generation X - born between 1965 and 1980
- Generation Y/Millennials - born between 1981 and 2000
- Generation Z - born after 2001
The two older generation are rarely targeted by marketers. In general, they are not that active in the online environment and make their purchase choices based on more traditional approaches. The majority of the GI Generation and the Silent Generation prefer shopping in the actual store and are loyal to certain brands for quite a long time. Most of them also prefer reading newspapers as the source of news and information and hence of advertising new products.
The other four generations are in the focus of marketers, with the Millennials being the preferred target as they are one of the most active age groups at present.
Generational marketing takes into account the specifications of each generation and uses specific tools such as a certain type of content and channels in order to appeal to the potential customers of each group.
How to reach each generation?
The key to reaching each generation is using the right tools that are recognized by people of a different age and to create the right content for each group. There are certain tricks that can boost your generational marketing and help your business win and sustain customers.
You need content that is tailored to the interests of each group you are targeting. You can either work with internal content writers or use the help of professional services such as Handmade writing and Tutorsglobe either to complete the job or as an inspiration and example of great catchy content. Make sure that you integrate the specific preferences of each age group into your text. Baby boomers are more open to traditional marketing tactics, they prefer a full description of the product with a lot of details, they are loyal to a brand but stick to the motto "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". Millennials, who are the most targeted group by marketers, love video content and are susceptible to SMS marketing as they carry their phone everywhere. This age group loves reviews and feedback and makes their purchasing decisions based on such information so make sure to include that type of content in your promotional materials.
- Use separate marketing channels
Each generation has its preferences when it comes to the digital media they use and trust. Hence, to reach a certain target group, you need to leverage the right tool.
If you target Baby Boomers, for example, an e-mail is a good idea, provided that you also give details of your physical shop, if you have any. An option to reach your representatives over the phone or in person will draw their attention.
For Generation X and Millennials your preferred social media tool shall be Facebook, while Generation Z prefers Snapchat and Instagram and those channels will be a more effective marketing tool.
Still, it is worth noting, that despite the differences in each generation there are some common features that can be taken into account. According to research carried out by Pew Research Center, Facebook remains the most popular social media platform among all ages, followed by Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
While generational marketing is based on the concept to approach each specific age group based on its common likes, it is also not such a good idea to generalize too much. Deloitte suggests avoiding a stereotypical view of consumers as one of the best strategies adopted by marketers. The first step is to use generational marketing to divide your target customers into age groups and then proceed to further segmentation based on their attitudes and preferences.
Generational marketing gives the business an option to connect with their audience using the right tools and channels. Its methods, combined with other successful marketing approaches, lead to better conversions and to enhanced customer loyalty.