Let’s play a sport: Inform me how previous you’re with out telling me how previous you’re.
Undecided tips on how to reply? Nicely, likelihood is your content material consumption habits offer you away.
As an example, I like Instagram and Netflix however have left my Snapchat stage behind and don’t perceive Roblox.
(When you’re scratching your head, don’t fear. By the top of this text, you’ll be capable of pinpoint my age, just like the label on a wine bottle.)
In a world pushed by content material advertising, understanding how your audience prefers to eat info is essential to getting your messages seen and heard. Nonetheless, the specifics can differ dramatically based mostly on age and era.
Let’s break down a few of every era’s most outstanding content material consumption habits based mostly on information and tips on how to form your technique with them in thoughts.
Content material Consumption Habits By Era
To be actual, I don’t prefer to put anybody in a field. Everybody’s totally different. Utilizing me for example once more, I truly love watching tv and community information, however that is unusual with others in my era.
All customers are distinctive, however that degree of personalization as a marketer isn’t actually sensible. Common benchmarks and statistical information, like these under, can inform a method you later take a look at and refine.
Hold this in thoughts as we talk about:
Be aware: Many of those traits are pulled from HubSpot’s 2024 Client Developments Report, based mostly on our survey of over 700 US customers.
You’ll be able to obtain the total report right here.
Gen Alpha Content material Consumption Habits
Members of Gen Alpha (born between 2012 and 2024) might not be patrons proper now, however they’re large customers.
And so they’re actually influential within the purchases of their elders. Right here’s what you have to find out about their content material consumption habits.
Video Desire
Gen Alpha may be very younger. Its members have restricted independence and mobility, and over 50% personal an iPad, so it’s no shock video is a well-liked medium.
Based on analysis agency Beano Mind, they suppose YouTube is “the good model.”
Client analysis platform GWI additionally discovered YouTube to be the highest video streaming platform for Gen Alpha in 11 out of 14 markets, second solely to Netflix within the remaining three.
There’s one thing for each Gen Alpha on YouTube, starting from schooling to leisure. The youngest members are nonetheless in diapers, watching Ms. Rachel and Cocomelon, whereas older children are leaning towards Like Nastya and even MrBeast.
What are you able to do as a marketer? When you’re attempting to get in entrance of Gen Alpha, spend money on YouTube Advertising and marketing or take into account partnering with YouTube influencers. We’ve received a complete YouTube Advertising and marketing Information and a free course to get you began. You can even take into account YouTube Advertisements.
Gaming As a Pastime
Whereas on their iPads, there’s additionally a great probability Gen Alpha is taking part in a sport like Roblox or Minecraft.
GWI discovered over 70% play digital video games day by day, making it their hottest pastime forward of watching TV/motion pictures, social media, or speaking to associates on different platforms.
These video games let gamers construct digital worlds they will discover with real-life associates who’re additionally taking part in. They’re additionally working to reinforce their worlds by buying new avatars, mini-games, skills, animations, or attire.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Most of the objects and experiences out there for buy in these video games mimic these into actual life; they’re usually even branded. When you have the means, discover how one can create a model expertise in a sport like Roblox, get featured of their advertising channels, or run advertisements.
For instance, athletic model Nike created Nikeland within the sport.
As Obsessar explains, Nikeland is “a everlasting digital area for followers to attach, create and compete, empowering customers to be their very own creator and design mini-games from interactive sports activities supplies.
Customers can even compete in numerous mini-games similar to tag, the ground is lava and dodgeball with their associates.”
“Nikeland leverages accelerometers on a person’s cellular machine to translate offline motion to on-line. Customers can even get signature Nike sneakers for his or her avatars from the digital store.”
Gen Z Content material Consumption Habits
With its oldest members getting into their late 20s, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2009) is rising in spending energy day by day — and that’s with it already sitting with over $450 million within the US alone.
What content material consumption habits do you have to know to get a bit of the pie?
Be taught much more about Gen Z shopping for habits and tips on how to align as a marketer.
Social Media Dominance
Based on the World Financial Discussion board, Gen Z spends a median of almost three hours per day on social media. That’s greater than some other era, and there’s little or no they don’t do there.
HubSpot analysis reveals social media is Gen Z’s #1 channel for product discovery, and 43% have purchased one thing by way of a social media app prior to now three months. In addition they flip to it for leisure, schooling, and socializing.
Our survey additionally discovered Gen Z’s prime three social media platforms are TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, however based on Morning Seek the advice of, Snapchat is just not far behind.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Discover alternative ways to determine a presence on social media. Widespread choices embody creating video content material (a favourite of Gen Z), operating paid advertisements, user-generated content material campaigns, and working with influencers.
Content material Hub options like Social Inbox and Content material Remix may help execute social methods to succeed in Gen Z in HubSpot as nicely.
Trusting Influencers
In terms of buy selections, our analysis found that Gen Z finds suggestions from influencers much more necessary than these from family and friends. And their influence doesn’t cease there.
Gen Z finds influencers and content material creators relatable and reliable. As The Drum defined, they observe them as a result of they “can provide connection, companionship, and aspiration.”
Due to this, they not solely affect a follower’s buy selections but in addition their private views.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Discover which influencers and creators your Gen Z patrons observe and for those who can doubtlessly accomplice with them. Maybe you could possibly ship them a free product to submit about or work on a bigger content material collaboration.
Be taught extra about your choices for influencer advertising in our final information.
Millennials Content material Consumption Habits
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are distinctive amongst different generations in that they had been born in an analog world however got here of age in a digital one. This twin identification could be seen of their content material consumption habits.
Mingling with Social Media
Social media began to rise through the early 2000s, making it contemporaries with millennials. Millennials have seen socials’ many evolutions and been a significant participant in shaping the cultures of older platforms like Fb and X (previously Twitter).
Like Gen Z, social media is the #1 channel for product discovery for millennials, however their favourite is YouTube, with Fb and Instagram following.
45% of millennials additionally get their day by day information from social media and over 60% their monetary schooling.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Goal to educate millennial audiences on social media. This is among the best methods to showcase your experience and construct the trusting relationships wanted to ultimately make a purchase order.
Be taught extra about the simplest forms of social media content material.
Podcasts
Podcasts additionally got here of age alongside millennials. eMarketer discovered that 64.2% of the era take heed to podcasts, whereas Edison Analysis discovered millennials and older members of Gen Z flip to them greater than some other age group.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Take into account beginning a podcast on your viewers or maybe sponsoring or promoting on a podcast you realize your viewers already listens to. Each of those choices will show you how to get your advertising message into millennials’ ears — actually and figuratively.
HubSpot has created a number of podcasts over time, together with Advertising and marketing In opposition to the Grain.
However at the moment, we even have a big podcast community that brings collectively many packages our viewers can be taught from.
Many podcast streaming platforms, like Spotify, additionally provide advertisements.
Talking of streaming…
Subscription Companies
A latest Kagan US Client Insights reveals millennials spend 9 hours per day on digital leisure.
It could shock you, nevertheless, that extra of this time is spent listening to music (2.8 hours) and taking part in video video games (2.4 hours) than watching TV/video content material (4.0 hours per day).
That is regardless of having, on common, 6.1 on-line video subscription companies.
Sounds to me like one era might have a subscription detox.
Out of those video subscription companies, the most well-liked is Netflix (77%), adopted by Amazon Prime Video (64%), with Hulu and Disney+ neck-and-neck for third place.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Now, after all, you possibly can’t get unique content material in your favourite streaming platform — that might be cool although, proper? However an increasing number of streaming companies are providing ad-supported tiers, so you possibly can nonetheless promote your services or products to viewers.
Based on a research by eMarketer, people of all ages watch video with ad-supported subscriptions no less than as soon as a month, with 80% of Amazon Prime Video subscribers choosing ad-supported.
Relying in your millennial viewers’s preferences, these might be an awesome choice for getting their consideration.
If these advertisements are out of your finances, it’s also possible to discover inventive methods to include standard streaming reveals into your content material. Take into account how HubSpot included the HBO collection “And Simply Like That” into its Instagram content material:
Gen X Content material Consumption Habits
Not like the generations that got here after them, members of Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) aren’t digital natives. They grew up with extra conventional media earlier than being uncovered to the web once they had been already of working age.
Tv
Although general tv viewership is trending downward in favor of streaming, the Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered members of Gen X watch a median of two.5-3 hours a day.
That’s about 87%, in accordance to Provoke Insights, making them the second largest viewer group behind solely child boomers.
Tv can also be Gen X’s second favourite supply of day by day information, behind social media.
And this is smart. Gen X grew up through the preliminary arrival of residence tv.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Tv advertisements might not be probably the most “inbound” technique, however they will nonetheless be efficient for reaching nostalgic Gen X audiences. Be taught extra concerning the potential in our Final Information to TV Advertisements.
Affinity for Mature Social Media
Whereas of an older age when launched to social media, Gen X have additionally develop into large followers of the medium.
In actual fact, it’s their second most-used channel for weekly media consumption (behind tv).
Like its youthful successors, millennials and Gen Z, our analysis discovered social media is the #1 channel for product discovery for Gen X. Nonetheless, they like Fb, adopted by YouTube (the identical as child boomers).
What are you able to do as a marketer? Don’t sleep on Fb advertising. Whereas waning in recognition with people beneath 45, the platform is simply rising with Gen X and Child Boomers. Listed here are some assets to get you began:
Child Boomer Content material Consumption Habits
Child boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) had been the most important era in the USA till millennials arrived.
As Investopedia explains, they typically stay “economically and politically influential due to their giant numbers and the relative prosperity of the U.S. economic system throughout their working careers.”
So, their content material consumption habits are value noting.
Tv
Child boomers dramatically choose TV to different content material mediums.
93% flip to it for almost all of their weekly media consumption, and whereas they’ve subscription companies, the quantity solely hovers round 2.5 per family, 4 lower than Gen Z or millennials.
However what are they watching? Except for embracing reveals like Yellowstone and Dancing with the Stars for leisure, additionally they flip to community and cable information as their most well-liked channels for day by day information.
46% report watching dwell, main different generations by 14%.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Like with Gen X, tv advertisements will be the strategy to go to get in entrance of child boomers, however it’s also possible to take into account wanting into a few of their favourite reveals and incorporating them into your content material.
Social Media Savviness
Whereas they didn’t develop up with it, child boomers love social media simply as a lot as their generational successors.
Like Gen X, our report reveals their prime platforms to be Fb (70% have visited the positioning within the final three months) and YouTube, with these two additionally main for his or her free video consumption, based on Kagan.
Not like different generations, nevertheless, our analysis discovered social media is their least most well-liked channel for product discovery.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Lean into long-form video content material on Fb and YouTube. With their love of tv and a few social media, experimenting with long-form video might be the key to leaving a mark on child boomers.
You can even strive going dwell on Fb or YouTube. Take a look at:
What content material consumption habits do all generations have in frequent?
Regardless of their variations, all generations appear to agree on three issues in the case of consuming content material:
- They love social media.
- They need video.
- Synthetic intelligence (AI) goes to be influential.
Our survey discovered that 87% of U.S. adults report utilizing social media, with 40% utilizing it to be taught new issues or get concepts. Maybe they’re utilizing it in another way and frequenting totally different channels, however they’re all utilizing it.
So, no matter who your audience is, you possibly can’t ignore social in your technique.
Learn “The way to Create a Nice Social Media Technique in 2024 (+ New Knowledge)”
The identical could be stated for video. Throughout each era, the choice for visible and auditory content material is obvious, whereas written (i.e., newsletters and information websites) have gotten more and more much less frequent.
Plus, video is thought to be extra memorable and interesting than static textual content alone.
All that stated, spend money on video advertising — whether or not it’s a tv advert, Instagram Reel, YouTube Channel, or a number of different choices. Discover the platform your viewers is hanging out on and meet them there with video.
Learn The Final Information to Video Advertising and marketing.
Lastly, 72% of all respondents of our survey reported planning on utilizing gen AI-powered seek for buying sooner or later. 79% of those that have already used it admit it supplied a greater expertise than conventional engines like google.
So, keep apprised of those habits and how one can adapt your advertising to them.
Learn AI in Digital Advertising and marketing — The Full Information.
Are customers content material along with your content material?
Content material advertising is right here to remain, however how customers work together with it’s evolving. As mentioned earlier, no two customers are alike — even throughout the similar era.
However utilizing data-backed traits and content material consumption habits, like these shared right here, may help you create a wise technique that you may take a look at and refine over time.
Now, I simply have one query for you: Did you determine how previous I’m?
If not, I apologize. We millennials could be a little mysterious generally.