In the last few years, a higher premium has been set on presenting your content appropriately to your audience. In order to do this, you must really learn about the demographics of each generation as a way to speak to them in the most effective way.
We can do this by looking through our follower list, determining the audience that would most benefit from our audiences, and opening the floor for questions. Sometimes we rely on studies and other collections of data to show us what certain audiences dig and don’t dig.
Such was the case with Koeppel Direct’s roundup regarding optimizing your content for every age group. They broke it down in such a way that helps us look at different generational online uses.
First up, we have our Baby Boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964. According to the data, they make up 74% of the US population. Sixty-7% of that population uses smartphones, while 57% use social media. The favorite platform of Boomers is Facebook, with 31.9% using the social media site.
It’s recommended to tailor content for Boomers in the following ways: make your content text-light (300 words is the preferred article length of this generation), videos that are heavy on information (slower-paced is preferred over fast), and Facebook-optimized content (57% will visit a company’s website after seeing them appear on social media, and 34% will make a purchase).
Next on deck is Generation X. This group was born between 1965 and 1980 and makes up 66 million of the US population. 85% own smartphones and 75% use social media (with 45 million Facebook users and 23.5 million Instagram users).
The content recommendations for Gen X are: longer-form video (30-second mobile video ads are preferred over ads that are shorter), tablet-optimized content, and 48% are more likely to buy from a company that offers instructional videos.
Now, everyone’s favorite, Millennials! These peeps graced the earth between 1981 and 1996 (May of ’94 brought you yours truly) and they make up 71 million of the population. 92% own smartphones and 85% use social media (with 59 million Facebook users and 43 million Instagram users).
Unsurprisingly, two out of three Millennials prefer online shopping. The recommended content comes in the way of shorter-form video (10-seconds preferred), interactive content (it’s all about the experience! Even with campaigns), email campaigns (Millennials spent 6 hours a day going through email, with 77% wanting to receive business communication by email).
Additional tips include: personalizing content, using less text, and sharing mobile coupons and rewards.
Finally, we’re at the end of the alphabet with Generation Z. Generation Zs were born between 1997 and 2012 (so they were learning to walk during the peak of Friends) and make up 60 million of the population. A whopping 95% have access to smartphones.
The favorites of social media include: 73% on Instagram, 69% on Snapchat (noted to be more popular with girls), and 80% say that social media influences their shopping (thanks, Insta models!)
It’s recommended to use: online video ads (56% take action after seeing a video), video marketing (85% use YouTube), and socially conscious content 94% feel that companies and brands should take stands on environmental and social issues).
The roundup also notes that in 2017, it was determined that the average human attention span is eight seconds (which is a 33% decrease from 2000).
There was also a 99% increase in branded video content views on YouTube over 2016.
In 2019, 80% of all web traffic so far is video. Think about that one.
This information is ever-evolving and helpful to keep an eye on. However, it’s important to note that this is a sample of these generational populations, and not every item applies to each population member. Do your own research to really get to know your audience!
Staff Writer, Taylor Leddin is a publicist and freelance writer for a number of national outlets. She was featured on Thrive Global as a successful woman in journalism, and is the editor-in-chief of The Tidbit. Taylor resides in Chicago and has a Bachelor in Communication Studies from Illinois State University.
