Generations 2010 Report Claims Millennials Not Only Tech-Savvy Group: Important News for Marketing

Post-Baby Boomer generations are often credited as being tech-savvy.  This may be true, but older generations are catching up.  According to new research by Pew Research Center reported in the Huffington Post, “Internet users aged 18-33 still rule the web when it comes to social networking, instant messaging, and wireless internet usage on laptops and mobile phones. And they also remain the generation with the highest percentage of active web users, at 95%. But the older generations are catching up, in surprising ways. The fastest growth on social networking sites like Facebook has come from the G.I. generation, those aged 74 or older. This age group otherwise lags behind the rest of the generations, with only 30% using the internet, compared to the 79% rate across the general population. Yet when it comes to social networking, usage has quadrupled since 2008 from 4% to 16%.”

image via socialmediatoday.com

More generations are jumping on the technology bandwagon.  Since 2008, all age groups are seeing an increase in how people are obtaining their news. This Generations 2010 report provides important information for companies and individuals looking to market their products.  Understanding behaviors and preferences for each age demographic is a crucial part of the marketing process. 

If the goal is to market to Millennials, take advantage of all media types.  TommyToy lists the top 10 tips for marketing to Millennials, including, “Utilize every platform available to you. Please listen carefully: print is not dead. TV is not dead. All forms of media are alive. Millennials are bombarded with hundreds of messages before they even reach their first class of the day. Why would you ever cut your chances of communicating with them? They are everywhere, and your messaging should be everywhere as well.”

Millennials may not be slowing down but older generations are doing their part to catch up.  When marketing to other demographic groups, the key is to know the audience and focus the message based on their individual needs and where they prefer to get their information.

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