Social Media Strategies for Every Generation
Different age groups use different types of social media. As you build your brand’s social media strategy, this is important to take into account. You should strive to focus your social media efforts on the types of platforms most likely to receive exposure from your target market. For more information out this helpful infographic from WebpageFX. In our last post, we provided a guide to the major social media platforms. Today, we’ll discuss each generation and their social media propensities.
Generation Z (13 to 19 year-olds)
The youngest demographic online is a powerful spending force; in the United States alone, this group represents $44 billion in annual spending. This is the only generation to grow up in a digital world. Their favorite social media platform? Instagram. 32% of Gen Zers list the image sharing app as their go-to social media site. Facebook is much less popular, with 1 in 4 Gen Zers leaving the platform in 2014. This could be attributed to the fact that Facebook is viewed as an “oversharing” platform. Where Millennials may be more likely to over-broadcast information, Gen Zers are selective in what they choose to share and prefer to communicate with friends. This could indicate the importance of user reviews and recommendations in a marketing plan that targets Gen Zers. Brands also need to be aware of the intrinsic savvy of these “digital natives” and avoid social media tricks that will come across as transparent to a younger user. Cultural relevance matters, as well as humor and authenticity to the communities in which these brands are present. They are hyper-connected and prefer apps like Snapchat, Instagram, Musical.ly, and messaging apps.
Millennials (20 to 35 year-olds)
Online shopping is a major aspect of Millennial awareness and spending. In fact, the average Millennial will spend $2,000 online per year. Millennials are highly active online; often referred to as “digital natives” who understand and have grown up with social media platforms and online activity. Millennials have more Facebook friends than any other age group, with 87% using the platform. Millennials believe that content created by users is both more reliable and more memorable than images and content created by brands. Millennials are best reached through custom Facebook ads and by linking to specific products and services available through your website in your social media posts.
Generation X (36 to 49 year-olds)
Generation X is more likely than Gen Zers and Millennials to prefer viewing online content using their laptops instead of mobile phones—with 40% stating this preference. Very few Instagram users are Gen Xers (only 8% use the app) and while 48% of this age group have Twitter accounts, less than half that number actively use Twitter. Pinterest is popular among this age group; 36% use the platform, and the vast majority of this number are women between the ages of 30 and 44. Over 1 in 5 active online shoppers are members of Generation X. Share your products through targeted Facebook ads and through Pinterest to reach Gen X shoppers.
Baby Boomers (50 to 65 year-olds)
As Baby Boomers become increasingly web-savvy, they will continue to represent an important segment of the online shopping community, as 70% of this age group in the United States has access to disposable income. Already, more than half of older Americans use smart phones. The two most effective social media platforms for connecting with Baby Boomers are Facebook and Pinterest. 84% have Facebook accounts and 41% have Pinterest accounts. Since 58% of Baby Boomers are willing to visit a website after seeing it on their social media accounts, use Facebook to share your business page and reach this age group.
Give our marketing experts at Go West Marketing a call so we can chat about a social media strategy tailored to your business and your target audience. We take the guesswork out by implementing carefully researched strategies for effective online marketing. Fill out our online form to make a free appointment!
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