Online Content Can Fall Through Generation Gaps

Online content marketing risks slipping through some surprise generation gaps, according to the latest study from Fractl and BuzzStream of digital content consumption by Millennial, Generation X and Baby Boom age cohorts. As reported recently by MarketingProfs, the study found that each generation's online consumption habits differ in terms of quantity consumed, timing, and device preferences. It turns out that online content viewing skews older, for example. Baby Boomers (those born 1946-1964) spend more time online than the younger generations; a quarter of Boomers say they spend 20 or more hours each week consuming online content, while the largest shares (22% each) of Gen Xers (born 1965-1976) and Millennials (born 1977-1995) spend only 5-10 hours per week with online content. Marketers may also want to think about online promotional timing: Boomers tend to consume online content during the work week, while more Millennials save online content viewing for weekends, and Gen Xers fall in between in terms of consumption timing. When it comes to devices, Boomers prefer to use a laptop (43%) or tablet (40%), while the younger Millennials tilt toward mobile devices as primary online viewing tools (25%). Indeed, of people using mobile devices as the primary way to view content, over half (52%) are Millennials. Marketers aiming for younger prospects better make mobile optimization of online content a priority. At least when it comes to content length, the generations agree: 300 words is ideal. For more details from the study, read the MarketingProfs article: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/28460/generation-gap-online-content-consumption-and-age

B2B Buying Differs for Millennials, Gen X, Boomers

If you want your business-to-business marketing to work across generations, you may need to change things up. Millennial buyers are distinctly different from previous generations, namely Gen X and Baby Boomer purchasers, in their B2B buying preferences, according to a MarketingProfs report of recent IBM research. IBM analyzed data from a survey of 704 people who influence or are responsible for B2B purchasing decisions of $10,000 or more for companies in 12 countries and 6 industries. The study found that, when researching products and services, Millennials (born 1980-1993) want to interact directly with vendors' representatives far more than Gen X (born 1965-1979) or Baby Boomers (born 1954-1964). Gen X buyers rely most on third-party articles/blogs/reviews to research products and servcies, while Baby Boomers rely most on trade shows. But before you send a rep out to knock on Millennials' doors, note that Millennials opt for remote over face-to-face vendor interactions, with some 69% of Millennials saying they prefer e-mail communications compared with only 24% who prefer in-person meetings. And when it comes to the vendor attributes most likely to impress potential B2B buyers, there is another generational divide: Millennial buyers value ease of doing business most highly, while Gen X buyers look for assurances that they'll be satisfied with their purchase, and Baby Boomers prize a vendor's ability to respond quickly. For more details of the study, see http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/27408/b2b-buying-millennials-vs-gen-x-baby-boomers