Generation Gap Marketing Techniques

Tips to Help Bridge the Marketing Gap with Different Generations

Bridging the generation gap

One challenge that many marketers and business owners face is bridging the gap between their own age bracket and customers representing different generations. While knowing the traits, likes, values and behaviors of your target market is important, small businesses have a unique advantage over larger corporation in the area of marketing toward the generation gap – younger consumers seem to much prefer doing business with smaller, “home grown” businesses.

Social Media Marketing is Key

One marketing platform that some businesses struggle with is incorporating social media into the overall promotional plan. The older generations are starting to get on the social media wagon, but not enough to really be influenced by what they find. Younger generations, on the other hand, get a lot of their information from social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While this should not suggest moving all your marketing to social media, doing some marketing here will definitely impact your audience.

Incorporating social media into your marketing plan is easier than it seems – instead of abandoning your print, radio, or television ads, have them support your social media pages and help to drive traffic to them. Include the phrase “check us out on Facebook,” or whatever social media platform you are using, into your print or audio marketing to show younger generations you do have a presence online. Additionally, your social media pages can support print, radio, and television marketing in the same way.

Make Your Digital Marketing Mobile Friendly

Older generations tend to be a little shyer when it comes to technology but millennials are all about the mobile lifestyle. For those tech-savvy consumers, there is nothing more frustrating than landing on a webpage that is not mobile-friendly and does not load properly on their smartphone or tablet. If they are unable to buy products they are interested on their device, regardless of how much they like it, they may just go to another source. In order to make sure you reach your target audience wherever they are and so you do not lose sales, work with your web-developer to make sure all of your websites and other online materials are both computer and mobile device compatible.

Use Strong Visuals

Younger consumers are much more drawn to things that they can visually see, either in a photo or a video. This is why review videos on YouTube are so popular – younger consumers want to see products in action and want to see what other people are saying about them. While review videos are a driving force, businesses can also add their own momentum by putting out interesting, well-done photos and videos whenever possible. Making an impression visually with younger consumers is key to success.

Go Green

The Green Movement in business is still alive and well and no generational group is more on this wagon than the millennials. Being environmentally friendly is at the top of many young consumer’s priority list and they are much more likely to interact and purchase from businesses who share the same values by producing green products or by operating in a more economically-friendly manner. Because of this, it is important for businesses to develop a strong eco-friendly image and make sure consumers are aware.

6-Figure Income Club is part of the Stacy O'Quinn network of informational sites. Stacy offers more tips for home business owners on his personal blog. To visit his blog and to learn more about Stacy O'Quinn, please click here.

*Photo Courtesy of xflickrx via Creative Commons License