Marketing to Different Generations

The type of humor that resonates with teenagers can also be funny to 38-year-olds and 65-year-olds, despite generational differences. However, Facebook and Google are the primary platforms to reach most people 65 years and older, while Instagram and TikTok are the primary platforms to reach most teenagers and 30-39 year-olds.

TikTok is becoming an alternative search engine for Gen Z. They search for local restaurant ideas and reviews instead of Google.

A company's photoshoots should reflect the range of ages and interests of the audience.

Gen Z is more active in commenting, sharing, and liking posts because they know that engaging with each post, trains the algorithms to show them more of what they like. Baby Boomers may enjoy posts and click through to websites, but they do not engage with posts to train algorithms. Therefore, the number of comments and shares from Baby Boomers may be fewer.

Regardless of generation, audiences do not want transactional posts. Many of us receive direct messages on LinkedIn that try to sell without first building a relationship.

People tend to buy products from brands they like. Baby Boomers and Millennials are less likely to hold grudges and may continue to buy from a brand that once offended them.

Gen Z follows a stricter path to purchase and loyalty. Companies must embrace doing good. For example, Patagonia's founder, Yvon Chouinard, along with his wife Malinda and two children, transferred ownership of the company to Holdfast Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. Patagonia appeals to customers who value both fashion and social responsibility.

Millennials have more in common with Gen Z than with previous generations. Both grew up with the internet and social media, and it's natural for them to use these platforms to research products, direct message companies, and make purchases. They also put more emphasis on experiences over luxury products.

Baby Boomers are very active in posting and consuming on Facebook. It may surprise some that 30-year-olds are still consuming content on Facebook, although they are less likely to post their content on the platform. In Canada and the US, you can reach 17-20 million Baby Boomers on Instagram, 59-70 million Gen Z, and 60-71 million Millennials.

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