6 Working Content Marketing Strategies for Different Generations

Darlene Florrie
9 min readAug 5, 2020

So, you have a product you trust in. Yet something is just not right with selling. But, maybe, you market your products wrongly? Bear in mind, that you have to use different content marketing strategies for different generations.

Yes, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when we are talking about people of different ages. Every generation requires different approaches. Plenty of marketing researches has proved it.

But you can just think for yourself, will you, your kids, and your parents search for the products/services equally? What technologies or means will one use to get acquainted with the goods?

They all will be various. Obviously, you’d like to provide an experience that fits the generation’s needs. Today, we want to talk about the content marketing strategy that accommodates the generations’ queries.

Getting started with marketing strategies for different generations. What do we know?

We love to through some stats to prove our point of view. According to Statista, 55% of marketers said that articles and blog posts were the most valuable content for driving prospects through the marketing funnel. 43% claimed that reviews were working great also.

So, you can take those two options as a content marketing strategy for lead generation. Yet, the stats are pretty common. We’d like to uncover the full picture for every generation.

Firstly, let’s see how generations interact with the technologies.

Of course, it’s not surprising that Gen Z (and Gen Y, for sure) use more technologies. But that’s not all data. Templafy puts it,

  • Gen Z and Gen Y favor online services,
  • 46% of younger Gen Y’s use Netflix,
  • 30% of 16–24s spend their free time watching TV or video

Thus, almost all generations have claimed to have access to the Internet. So, yes. You, as an online business owner, can reach almost all generations.

How to create a content marketing strategy for Baby Boomers

We notice variations in the way different sources are grouping generations. Some of them state Baby Boomers to be people born from the mid-40s to mid-50s. Yet the majority of them show boomers as people born from 1946 to 1964. So, let’s stick to these numbers.

What stats should we take into account?

  • Up to 64% use social media
  • Up to 61% use Facebook
  • 13% use Instagram
  • 18% use Twitter
  • 43% read an in-depth content

How is this Gen special?

When we are talking about boomers, we should count on some specifics before creating content. Thuswise, think of this:

Brand loyalty. These people tend to follow their habits that are with them for ages. Your task here is to ensure boomers that your product is superb. You offer high quality, stability, traditions, and continuity.

Hint. As these people tend to trust brands they know, you can try telling them about your company with the help of this brand. Reach this reputable brand and ask them to tell their customers about you. You can do this with the help of the guest posting.

For example. You sell instruments for gardening. Reach flower shops or plant nurseries. Send your products and ask to recommend your brand for all things gardening. Agencies like Adsy help you reach industry-specific blogs to tell about goods/services.

How do you deliver content?

Based on the data, we’ve offered, you can use the following channels.

Facebook — target your audience there. Make sure your ads are reliable and give valuable information.

Blog — make sure to deliver high-quality content with in-depth descriptions.

Videos — create videos that offer essential information and are not too fast or harsh.

Emails — don’t forget about running a well-build eMarketing campaign.

How to create a content marketing strategy for Gen X

People born from 1965 to 1980-s refer to Gen X. What tactics do you employ while creating a content marketing strategy for them?

What stats should we take into account?

  • 64% use social media
  • 61% use Facebook
  • 13% use Instagram
  • 18% use Twitter
  • 43% read an in-depth content

How is this Gen special?

Though this generation was born before the technology boom, innovations became part of their lives in the late 20 and in the 21 century. That is why try this approach.

Be transparent. Remember we’ve mentioned technologies? Yes, right. This generation has seen lots of ads on the television and now is seeing them on the Internet. In your marketing approach for Gen X, be clear about the benefits your goods give them. Don’t use aggressive advertising if you want to attract this generation.

Hint. This generation loves saving. They lived through the student debts, raising kids, helping parents, and so on. That’s why value-for-price or special offers is the marketing tactic you need to use.

Create landing pages and send emails with special offers or discounts your company provides. Make coupon codes that decrease prices. Place content about your sales on the special coupon code sites (like Retailmenot, Savings.com, etc.).

How do you deliver content?

Taking into account the previous data, we can move with the following strategy.

Facebook — the majority of Gen X are active Facebook users. So, ads with the right message or sale deals are very likely to work.

Blog — as we’ve mentioned, write a clear copy describing what advantages your product offer. In fact, exactly this generation can make provision of the biggest ROI for the blog.

Videos — as 40 to 55 years old become more and more tech-savvy this is a worthy digital channel to employ.

Emails — note that email marketing efforts may bring the best results. So, ensure to schedule enough time to create a killer strategy.

Twitter — yes, you heard it right. On this very step, you can reach Gen X using this social network. Once again — use transparency and clarity to provide top results.

How to create a content marketing strategy for Millenials

This generation was born between 1981 and the late 90-s. Soon millennials compound the most part of the payable population.

What stats should we take into account?

  • over 80% use social media
  • over 79% use Facebook
  • over 39% use Instagram
  • over 22% use Twitter
  • 1 out of 3 reads the in-depth content

How is this Gen special?

Unlike other generations, Gen Y is up for some social cause. Or about making a change. This time you can point to not only quality and uniqueness but also to good reasons standing behind your brand.

When making a content marketing strategy checklist for millennials, think of online channels. This is the first generation to witness the online technology revolution. As the majority use social media and read blogs, concentrate on them. Don’t forget to optimize content for mobiles.

Use the best practices of brand storytelling. Make your company feel relatable. Tell what values stay behind your brand, what changes you do for the community or world.

Hint. Get inspired by great storytelling examples from Patagonia or The North Face. Also, use guest posting to increase brand awareness. For instance, with Adsy you can enjoy 174% audience extension and brand awareness growth.

How do you deliver content?

As Gen Y is among the most tech-savvy generations, the content delivery is 100% digital. They are very unlikely to interact with traditional marketing channels (printed media, TV, etc.).

Social media — here we are talking about social networks in general. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter — there are a lot of options to reach your target audience.

Mobile marketing — We will not deny the fact that smartphones are millennials’ best friends. So, why not benefiting from the extra channel in the form of SMS marketing.

Videos — from Youtube to video streaming platforms, you can integrate the narrative about your brand. Youtube, probably is the next-gen channel that will drive more and more clients to your site. Of course, with a cleverly written content.

User-generated content — it’s any type of content created by fellow users. It might be social media posts about the products, articles telling about one’s experience, and so on. Gen Y trusts the review of the same buyers as they are.

How to create a content marketing strategy for Gen Z

This generation refers to young people born in the late 90-s. Many sources place this generation to the 1998 year of birth and younger. This is the first 100% digital generation.

What stats should we take into account?

  • 86% use social media
  • 88% use Facebook
  • 59% use Instagram
  • 36% use Twitter
  • 1 out of 4 reads the in-depth content

How is this Gen special?

In this case, you need to fit for Gen Z’s attention span. It’s the shortest one among all generations. Yet this doesn’t mean this generation is inattentive. Born during full digitalization and high-speed Internet, youngsters don’t like to wait. Any information they need is a few clicks away.

So, firstly, make sure to grab their attention with your content. Optimize your content for mobile devices. Ensure the load speed is super fast.

Bear in mind that Gen Z not only trusts influencers. Many of them are influencers themselves. Well, if not for the whole world then for their parents that’s for sure. So, you may target 2-in-1 generations when creating content for 20-somethings.

Hint. With Adsy you can reach influencers in the variety of industries. That would ease your contact with Gen Z. No worries if you’ve never worked with the guest posting service. Adsy gives a 14-day free trial on its product.

How do you deliver content?

As Gen Z is the most tech-savvy generation, use the omni-digital approach. Like Gen Y, Gen Z is very unlikely to interact with traditional marketing channels (printed media, TV, etc.).

Social media — perhaps, this will be the main driver. Make sure to create content that stands out from the crowd. Curate posts specifically for every network be it Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok.

Short videos — regardless of what platform you are using, don’t make your videos lengthy. Look about 1,5–2 minutes to deliver your main idea about the brand or product. Viral videos are still working great.

Memes — yes, we are not joking. Trust us, it’s not easy to turn something into a meme or build an association with it. As it is another form of the ‘fast content’ that may attract Gen Z, be as creative (and sometimes mad) as possible.

Imagery — visuals of different types surround the younger generation. They see plenty of pictures, ad banners, artworks on a daily basis. Ensure you complement your texts with stunning visuals. Also, remember that your imagery should be eye-catching and jaw-dropping.

Conclusion

As you can see, content strategies for different generations may vary drastically. Many of them are influenced by technologies and their perception. Based on it and also the way generations interact with it, content marketers are building the strategies.

We’ve started from traditional methods to long-read content for the older generations. They eagerly read in-depth content and still check printed media. So, marketers are good at combining offline and online channels.

Social media marketing content strategy and video content marketing strategy is what you need to engage the younger audience. Gen Y and Gen Z have a lesser attention span, are much tech-savvier, and more demanding for the content they are consuming.

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Darlene Florrie

Co-founder and Сontent Strategist of https://adsy.com . Сontent marketing influencer and blogger. Open to communication and collaboration.