Social marketing studies people’s behaviours and uses this knowledge to properly target them with the right products. It is common knowledge that different generations each have their own values and characteristics and a lot of these can determine their behaviours. Hence, having awareness of the needs and behaviours of existing generations can give you an advantage.
The Nitty Gritty
Social marketing requires that you study the behaviours of your market and to see things through their perspective. Then, the knowledge you gain from that will be the basis of your eCommerce schemes. You find which new behaviours you want them to acquire and old ones you want sustained – this gives you the ability to supply your customers’ needs with your products.
The foundation of social marketing is your knowledge of their behaviour. You should know the market like the back of your hands – as if you were in their shoes.
The Generations
| Generation Name | Births Start | Births End |
| Baby Boomer | 1946 | 1964 |
| Generation X (Baby Bust) | 1965 | 1979 |
| Xennials | 1975 | 1985 |
| Millennials Generation Y | 1980 | 1994 |
| iGen / Gen Z | 1995 | 2012 |
| Gen Alpha | 2013 | 2025 |
Different generations have collective behaviours that can be stereotypical or harsh but are observed to be true and could be very helpful knowledge for social marketing. Each generation has lived through different technological advancements and, hence, generation-specific values that you can use to determine your courses of action.
Remember that any knowledge that you have about the market can be used to the advantage of your business. The more you know, the better you can target your business at the right people.
In this article, we will discuss the characteristics of purchase-able existing generations – from Boomers to Millennials.
The Boomers
Baby Boomers are come from the huge population increase that followed World War II. They were called the Flower Children, taking LSD and protesting the war in Vietnam and fighting for environmental protection.
Boomers became great consumers, known for spending every dollar they earned, and their spending and consumerism fueled world economies.
Baby Boomers were the first to live in a time of unparalleled national optimism and prosperity. They lived through the Cold War, with fear of a nuclear attack from either Russia or the USA. They witnessed two assassinations – the tragic deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. They also witnessed one of the world’s biggest technological leaps that successfully put a man on the Moon.
They are still in the market and because of their background, they view themselves as entitled spenders. They were part of the original mall culture and love shopping spontaneously. They are now in their older age and their needs are more on health necessities and religion focused.
They have limited digital capacities but you can market to them on Facebook. They are very basic and prone to fake news. It is very, very easy to sell them vitamins especially when there’s online gossip about a virus. Newsletters are effective tools to reach Boomers because they treat email with the with the same integrity of how they treat conventional mail.
Gen X
Gen X was originally called “Gen Bust” because their birth rate was vastly smaller than the preceding Baby Boomers. They lived in a time when US had its highest level of education.
They are the MTV Generation. They have been characterized as slackers, cynical, and disaffected. They are culturally influenced by grunge and hip-hop music, and by the independent films of their youth. In their midlives research labels them as active, happy, and achieving a work–life balance with entrepreneurial tendencies.
They were the generation that lacked parental supervision because of Boomer divorces. They thrive in authenticity and security.
When selling to the Gen X, emphasize the social impact of your product or service. You can reach them with traditional online marketing methods – newsletters, native ads, and SEO. They are also on Facebook and to a lesser degree on Instagram. Products that make them feel not-so-old will succeed. Ironically, they are, today, the best people to sell retirement plans to.
Xennials
This is a micro-generation of people on the cusp of the Generation X and Millennial demographics. Xennials had to bridge the divide between an analog childhood and digital adulthood – young floppy disk users who are now using Bluetooth all over the house. They had an AOL adolescence and experienced the last gasp of a time before sexting, Facebook shaming, and constant, instant communication.
They are prevalent in today’s workforce and are a big part of the market. They have the purchasing power and the online presence that marketers can exploit. They are a special and small niche in the
market and are easy to target. You can find them on any social media and on shopping sites that are easier to use.
In their age, they are establishing families and preparing to settle down. Any homeowner product and related technology will be hot to a Xennial. Reach them by having an optimized digital marketing campaign.
KAMG has Search Engine Optimization services that can help your marketing campaigns achieve good results. The Kas Andz Marketing Group is an award winning, full scale marketing and automation growth agency that can custom tailor a package to your business.
We help your products appear on top of search lists so that Xennials will notice you first.
Millennials
This is the generation that has never lived in a world without an internet connection and a computer at home. They are living in a very diverse and highly communicable world. The digital world is an essential part of their lives. They are part of the meme culture and are today’s current youth.
They are also a big part of the work force and they can earn and live on a purely digital basis. They are nothing without their smart phones and will break without the internet.
They have the youngest millionaires in different areas of enterprise – they are the YouTubers, Influencers, Digital Marketing Companies CEOs, SEO professional service providers and more. Chances are that you are a Millennial.
Similar to the Boomers, having lived during a great societal change, they too have become entitled consumers who are used to having everything at their fingertips because of technology. They are very self-absorbed and can’t stand inconvenience.
They are the least gullible of the spending generations because of their access to knowledge. They know more and can see through marketing schemes.
Millennials like being part of some advocacy because they like being seen as charitable. So when selling to them, attaching some advocacy will help. They often don’t subscribe to marketing schemes, so you must find a way to show your brand’s authenticity. They can be driven mostly by word of mouth and more personal approaches.
This is why when transacting B2B with Millennials, it is a good strategy to use handwritten letters. This is the generation who constantly gets automated pings and are already digitally fatigued from robotic newsletters and robotic emails.
Transactions using handwritten letters in Business-to-Business engagements makes proposals more trendy, noticeable, friendlier and thus, more likely to succeed with Millennials.
Your automations can also use the firm and friendly tone of handwritten mails. The styling of handwritten communication can be carried on to digital tools to veer them away from being robotic.
With KAMG, you can automate Response Driven Emails in this manner. We offer tools that get you traffic and turn it into actual clients. These tools, when used alongside the casual nature of hand written letters in B2B, can grow your company exponentially and with integrity.
The Kas Andz Marketing Group fully automates your emails so every transaction gets the personal touch and structures letters for maximum potency and only shows your clients relevant content.
In addition, KAMG uses Send Time Optimization to make sure that clients get the email when they want it, and divides recipients to interest groups, so that they will only get the content and offerings Millennials want to see.
Know More, Reach More
Study the generations and where they are at their point of life now. Research on their behaviours and you’ll know what to offer them and how to reach them effectively.
Know their perspectives and their ways to succeed in social marketing.
