Are you trying to understand your target audience for your business but don’t know where to start? Where do you begin in determining how to reach this market?  Understanding your audience and their behaviours is critical to any marketing campaign. We are going to focus on two key groups; Millennials and Baby Boomers.

Millennials

The term ‘Millennial’ has received a few loose interpretations, notably referring to people who take selfies on their swanky smartphones. Millennials are early adopters of technology, engage a great deal with social media and are becoming less interested in traditional advertising due to its ‘hard sell’ and are more influenced by content with purpose. As Millennials are interacting with various social accounts, own multiple devices and are obsessed with the Internet, it is integral that businesses look to capitalise on this. A 2018 Nielsen study revealed that 98% of Millennials use the Internet in a week and 67% said they do not feel comfortable leaving home without their mobile!

Reaching this audience

It may be important to use an array of social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as Millennials utilise multiple touch points online. If you are using various networks, be consistent in your tone as Millennials are more attracted to unified messaging. Millennials want to connect with the personality of brands that fit within their interests. Therefore, a mixture of Paid and Organic activity online makes the ‘branding’ feel more human. Targeting them based on their interests and utilising sophisticated retargeting methods allow users to become evangelists for your company in the long run.

Ads that are simple, direct and without any forced sale pitches are likely to capture this audience. Information provided in an authentic and engaging way through features such as Instagram Stories, Facebook live, or video content are examples of ways in which you may captivate Millennials. They expect instant gratification! You may also want to think about using ‘Influencer Marketing’ as this has the power to create brand awareness and trust in an environment where audiences consider their ‘Influencers’ opinions and recommendations.

Another way to connect with the Millennial market is through podcasts. Individuals who listen to podcasts are captured, engaged and are actively consuming content they are interested in. By aligning your brand with a relevant host/show, you are likely to resonate with your target audience. As podcasts are usually listened to from start to finish, you must be mindful of your frequency and messaging to overcome repeated and forced advertising.

And just because Millennials aren’t that big on the ‘traditional’ mediums such as TV, you must not forget that BVOD – Broadcaster Video on Demand is in steady growth and is here to stay. Brands have the ability to specifically target their audience through programs, interests and regions to deliver compelling and viewable content that can be streamed anywhere at any time.

The last important element in attracting Millennials is the experience. They love to participate, appreciate transparency and are heavily influenced by user-generated content. Encouraging them to share, tag and engage will aid in increasing the status of your brand not only with the user but also their peers.

Baby Boomers

Marketers often forget about Baby Boomers (approx. 54 – 72-year old’s). Being more economically powerful than any other generation in history, they may be a huge untapped resource for your brand. Traditionally not considered as ‘tech savvy’, our research reveals that they are indeed on board with the digital movement. 74% percent of them have used the Internet in the past week (Nielsen 2018). A common misconception is that mobile usage surpasses all other devices across the board. Try telling this to Baby Boomers as they spend 53% of their online time on PC/Desktops compared to just 43% on mobile (Millennials spend 73%!).

Reaching this audience

In an age of constant evolution and innovation, Baby Boomers tend to favour the simple life online. They have a higher propensity to spend time consuming longer-form content (whereby, Millennials are more likely to opt for a bite-sized fix).

Content and Email Marketing are examples of methods that provide tangible ROI. As Baby Boomers spend a great deal of time-consuming content more than any other generation, it is necessary that part of your strategy is to deliver authentic and informative details.  Similarly, Email Marketing is high amongst Baby Boomers who are known to click through and explore products and services.

Facebook remains the most popular social network for Baby Boomers. They are known for being big sharers online for causes they believe in such as health, education, leisure, wealth, and authenticity. They are also a generation that expect high quality customer service so encouraging them to get in touch through Facebook is an effective marketing approach.

As mentioned previously, online consumption plays a big part in their ‘media’ day. However, they are time rich and are able to remain in touch with traditional mediums. Broadcast media such as TV and Radio are still the best way for mass reach among this audience as well as most audiences in Australia. 98% of Baby Boomers will watch TV and 73% will listen to Radio in any given week (Nielsen 2018). Just remember not to forget print either as they certainly don’t!

Concluding thoughts

There is no doubt that both Millennials and Baby Boomers provide great possibilities for marketers and advertisers alike. Millennials are moving away from traditional media with a focus on remaining connected constantly. Think quality over quantity and keep your messaging short, visual, informative and relevant. Having straddled between a non-digital era and the current modern age, it would be important to consider multiple avenues for Baby Boomers.

Regardless of how different people engage with the world and consume – media, both Millennials and Baby Boomers have the common desire to be informed and in touch with a brand. Always stay up to date on relevant platforms, stay authentic and produce content with purpose that MATTERS!