Communication Across Generations and the Social Media Impact

Communication Across Generations and the Social Media Impact

By: Kennedy Wilson, Events and Marketing Coordinator

There's a lot of dialogue happening in the world right now. As I'm watching all of this unfold- most of which is through social media- I am noticing a vast difference in how generations see the world and how they communicate. Has this always been the case? Or has social media brought a magnifying glass to this difference in communication because social media is constantly in our faces? Furthermore, how can you market your business to all five generations?

These questions lingered in my and I felt driven to do some research on the matter. That's when I ran across an article published last year from turbotenant.com titled, "Essential Communication Tips Across 5 Generations" and found it very compelling.

(Click HERE to read the article.)

While it centers around ways to speak with tenants from the five generations, I felt that it could be used as a great tool in planning content/marketing materials that appeal to each generation based on how they communicate. It's not a secret that face to face communication has drastically decreased which some may say is due to COVID, and I would agree with you if we're talking about the last couple of years, but I would argue that this has been the case since social media platforms began back in the early 2000's. I'd even venture to say that it's been the case since texting and IM'ing (instant messaging) came into existence.

When those platforms were created, interaction became easier, because it could be done behind a device instead of face to face and quicker. Forget written notes to your peers that you folded into cool shapes, it became more about assigning people in your contacts with the perfect ringtones and looking at their MySpace (pre Facebook for my Gen Z'ers) page to get the scoop because documenting your every feeling online became the ultimate fad (and still is holding strong today)! Life became about likes, comments, how fast someone responded to you, the perfect look to your platform page.... sound familiar?? We had no idea that social media it would become part of the very formula that businesses would use to grow and expand.

According to this article, the average person spends 10 hours a day in front of a digital device. Does that shock you? I can't say that I'm shocked with that statistic because almost my entire job is done from a computer. Our advanced technology has made it more convenient to communicate to a vast number of people. People on Tik Tok and YouTube are becoming viral sensations overnight. Ms. Rachel, a women who creates content for children with language barriers, started in 2019 on YouTube and now, five years later, has a net worth of over $10 million.

The article I previously mentioned provides traits from each generation and how they would best communicate. Let's dive into what they say about each generation, and I'll provide examples of marketing tools that would best reach these people!

Traditionalists: 1945 and before

Or what I like to refer to them as... The In-Hand Generation

Core Values:

• Discipline and respect for authority

Work Ethic:

• Work hard, company first, dedicated

How they want information:

• Mailers

Best Way to Communicate:

• Phone calls and written words

For your customers/clients that are in this age range, mailer content and cold call marketing are the best strategies. Many of these individuals don't have social media or access to the internet. We're constantly receiving calls from this generation asking for phone numbers for them to call or phone books (which not many people produce anymore). Something just as important to note, this is the cash or check generation. Very few completely online payments or pay with cards, so having a payment option suitable for each generation's preference is helpful to your business as well!

Baby Boomers: 1946-1964

Core Values:

• Team Oriented, anything is possible

Work Ethic:

• Workaholic, quality work, work ethic = work ethic

How they want information:

• "Print me a copy"

Best Way to Communicate:

• Face to Face or by phone

Testimonials are going to be your best friend with this crowd and they're not afraid to ask for further explanations or visuals. How does this help you from a marketing front? By knowing your brand and your product inside and out! Baby Boomers might not know everything about social media, but many have them, so when you're putting together marketing plans you should also include a strategy to gain more testimonials. Little tip though, do NOT have clients or customers fill out a review or testimonial for Google at your business location. Google wants reviews to come from outside your location. If they are done within your location, your Google algorithm will be docked and Google won't push your business to a better location in a Google search (meaning you'll be on the 3rd or 4th search page instead of the first). Best way to get those testimonials would be to send follow up emails to clients with a link to your Google review OR having your marketing person cold call clients and interviewing them for feedback.

Gen X 1965 - 1976

Core Values:

• Diversity, high job expectations

Work Ethic:

• Self reliant, ask questions, need structure and direction

How they want information:

• Send me a copy

Best Way to Communicate:

• Email or Text

The article states Gen X'ers are extremely self reliant and a tad skeptical, so detail oriented and to the point content is best for this generation. They want to know what you do, how/why you're the best choice, and how much your product is going to be. Of all social media platforms, this generation is very active on Facebook, so Facebook Ads, detailed content that's quick to read, pricing information on product etc. would be best practice. The article also expressed that, "the Generation X communication style encourages feedback and has no concerns expressing their opinion." Much like the Baby Boomers, getting testimonials from this group would be great for marketing and e-newsletters are a great form of communication for this group.

Millennials 1977-1995

Core Values:

• Achievement, self confidence

Work ethic:

• Ambitious, excellent at multitasking, creative expression

How they want information:

• "Let me Google that"

Best Way to Communicate:

• Text or Online

This generation dabbles in ALL social media platforms. They grew up with this form of technology and adapt quickly or latch on to new platforms-- look how huge Tik Tok became! Millennials are a mix of Gen X and Gen Z when it comes to marketing content. They are skeptical and want to make sure they're making the right decision, yet they also need marketing material that will hold their attention. So basically...they need detail oriented content that is entertaining! You'll want to incorporate both written content posts as well as video posts to reach this group, and retailers... you're going to want to have a functioning website that has ecommerce. If they can't purchase something from their phones or computer it's likely they'll go some place else. This is also true about easy access communications. They are one of the two instant gratification generations, so if you're toying with whether to get a Chatbot for your website? Do it! This could help reel in clients outside your business hours because they most likely won't call you on the phone.

Generation Z 1996- present

Core Values:

• Inclusion, self expression

Work ethic:

• Gratifying, wants a mentor, fulfilling work

How they want information:

• DM (direct message) me

Best Way to Communicate:

• Text or FaceTime

Generation Z's communication style is very concise and HIGHLY visual, so you're marketing content needs to quick, abbreviated, and have no lengthy words or long winded passages. One of their core values is self expression. A great way to connect your product with this generation would be to visually show how your product or service would better their way of life. Example: "perfume that smells so good you'll stop people in their tracks," or "using this model of grill you'll cut dinner prep time in half!" This generation is also obsessed with influencer content and Tik Tok is their number one platform. Now I'm not saying you need to go out and get yourself a Tik Tok, but you could use your younger audience to do it for you. Using influencers with a big following to push/endorse your product or service is a trending marketing strategy right now. I can't tell you how many times I saw a video of an influencer reviewing the Crumbl Cookie flavors of the week and then jumped in the car to go get one of the flavors to try myself.

With every marketing strategy there are pros and cons. Using influencers to push product or services can sometimes back fire because they will give a 100% genuine review. Good or bad. So be strategic in what product or service you're wanting to be promoted. Encourage this younger demographic to tag you in their content when they visit your business or purchase a service.

Not only can you use this information to help plan for specific marketing strategies and expand your audience reach, but this is also great information to use for communication between generations in your work space.

Thank you for reading!