Generational Marketing: 4 Simple Tips to Market to Multiple Generations

Each generation has a unique way to understand and react to marketing information. The strategies used to reach one generation will be different than the strategies for another, which is why generational marketing is so important. Here is a closer look at what generational marketing is, and four specific tips you can use to be more successful when marketing to multiple generations.

What Is Generational Marketing?

Generational marketing is a strategy that finds what motivates each generation, then using segmentation within your marketing efforts to target specific generations directly. By using the marketing techniques that most effectively reach that particular generation of people, you will find greater marketing success across your entire target audience.

Tips for Marketing to Multiple Generations

If your target audience spans several generations, use these tips for generational marketing for more effective reach.

1. Use Time of Day to Your Advantage

Different generations have different schedules. Traditionalists and Boomers are more likely to be up in the morning and making shopping decisions. Generation X-ers and Millennials are more likely to shop in the evening after work responsibilities are complete. When sending marketing messages at different times, change the tone to reach these different demographics.

2. Use Different Messages on Different Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are not all created equal. A 2014 Pew Research study found that 65% of adults between the ages of 50 and 64 are now on social media, and the majority of them use Facebook. Instagram, on the other hand, is more widely used by younger generations. When posting to Facebook, tailor your marketing message to an older generation. On Instagram, change your marketing message to reach a younger generation. Use a variety of social media platforms to reach more people.

3. Use Many Different Mediums for Sharing the Same Message

As seen in social media marketing, different mediums reach different people, but this doesn’t just apply to social media. Your message needs to be spread across many different platforms, depending on who you are wanting to reach. For Baby Boomers, digital and online content works well. For Generation X, online content also works well, but it needs to connect to lifestyle and entertainment concepts. Moving to Generation Y, online content needs to be brief. Generation Z prefers video over written content. Use multiple mediums to ensure you are reaching everyone.

4. Use Reviews and Testimonials to Your Advantage

When reaching across multiple generations, don’t neglect reviews and testimonials. This is particularly valuable when trying to reach Millennials, who like to talk and plan with people they trust. In fact, 68% of Millennials indicate they won’t make a major decision before discussing it with some trusted people.

So if Millennials need the input of others to make purchasing decisions, generational marketing strategies will place testimonials on the platforms most likely to appeal to Millennials. Since Millennials are spending a lot of time on Instagram, this is the place to post client reviews and testimonials for the most traction.

A blanket one-size-fits-all approach to marketing will cause you to lose potential customers and clients because you’re simply not reaching their generation appropriately. Studying and understanding the different generations in your target market, then tailoring your marketing efforts to attract them, is critical. Marketing to multiple generations is a key component to your marketing success.