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Social Media Marketing for All Generations

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No matter the demographics of a target audience, chances are your business can engage with them through social media. While at one time it was mainly used by Millennials, social media has evolved into a place where anyone, young or old, can connect and share everything and anything that life brings them. This trend is great if your target audience spans across multiple generations because you now have a chance to speak to each segment without alienating the others.

Harness the power of social media for your business and learn how to communicate well to each audience!

Baby Boomers

You may think many Boomers aren’t active on social media, but it’s the opposite. In fact, over 80% of Baby Boomers have a profile on at least one social media website.

With this generation, there are two big “no-nos” you need to keep in mind. First and foremost, don’t call them out about their age. They don’t appreciate being called a “senior,” “elderly” or “old.” The other tip to remember is to not treat them as technology “newbies.” There are plenty of Boomers who are quite tech-savvy and regular online shoppers; putting them down about their experience with technology could cost you a customer. Baby Boomers also do not like a hard sell, so it’s best to talk more about your product/service benefits.

The last thing to keep in mind is this generation is huge and diverse. Instead of targeting all Baby Boomers, identify which segment is most likely to become a customer and market to their preferences.

Generation X

Gen X is ignored by marketers on social media, which is a significant oversight. Despite their small numbers, this group of people has the greatest spending power in the U.S. Plus, their tech-savviness and brand loyalty make them a consumer base worth targeting on social media.

Generation X relies on research when it comes to their online shopping decisions. When marketing to them through social media, make sure you’re very clear about your product/service’s benefits and any messaging around it. Highlighting real customer testimonials is also another great tactic, as this segment of people can be very skeptical when it comes to online reputations.

Millennials (Generation Y)

You remember how cool it was to hang out at the mall or movie theater when you were young? For Millennials, social media today is what malls and movies were to you. If this is your primary audience, your social media marketing strategy needs to be fine tuned and perfected.

Much like Gen X, Gen Y is also skeptical and will do their research before committing to your brand. They also steer their interests toward solving real-life problems; the best way to get this group’s attention is by offering relevant, simple solutions to today’s real world problems. Since they prefer genuine marketing, you will turn them off if your social messaging comes off too overt.

Also, Millennials are much more visually stimulated than other generations, so add imagery or animated. GIF files to your posts to better capture their attention.

Generation Z

Generation Z may not be your target audience now, but someday they will be. There’s no better time than now to start grabbing their attention. While Millennials are more brand focused, Gen Z is more product focused, which means superior products/services will win them over. This is why you need to concentrate on the quality of your offering when marketing to Gen Z.

This segment of the population is all about independence and empowerment. If you can give them the tools to learn, do or experience things themselves (such as educational videos), you’re likely to keep them coming back to your website for more.

Two Universal Tips for Each Market

Here are two things that will resonate with all four generations at once.

  1. Be honest and straightforward in your marketing.

Online shoppers, regardless of their age, are savvy enough to see through “too-good-to-be-true” offers. They have a world of reviews at their fingertips to rely on before buying, and overly-salesy social media posts will have almost no effect on their final decision. Stay truthful in your posts, and you’ll be treated accordingly.

  1. Engage with your followers.

Social media is the place to not only build your brand personality but engage with your followers as well. Whether they reach out to you on social media for praise or a problem, it’s vital that you respond. With so many engaging brands out there, your followers have come to expect engagement; ignoring them can have very negative consequences.

No matter which generations you seek to reach, social media is a great place to reach them. To learn more about social media marketing, contact GreenMellen today!

About the Author

Brooke Desmond

Communications Manager
With a passion for all things digital marketing, Brooke aims to give a unique perspective on the latest trends and ideas in this ever-changing space.

View Brooke's Profile

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