Let’s play a sport: Inform me how previous you’re with out telling me how previous you’re.
Unsure the way to reply? Properly, likelihood is your content material consumption habits provide you with away.
As an illustration, I really 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 tip 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 marketing, understanding how your audience prefers to devour info is important to getting your messages seen and heard. Nevertheless, the specifics can differ dramatically primarily based on age and technology.
Let’s break down a few of every technology’s most distinguished content material consumption habits primarily based on information and the way 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 technology.
All shoppers are distinctive, however that degree of personalization as a marketer isn’t actually life like. Common benchmarks and statistical information, like these beneath, can inform a method you later take a look at and refine.
Maintain this in thoughts as we focus on:
Notice: Many of those tendencies are pulled from HubSpot’s 2024 Shopper Tendencies Report, primarily based on our survey of over 700 US shoppers.
You can download the full report here.
Gen Alpha Content material Consumption Habits
Members of Gen Alpha (born between 2012 and 2024) is probably not patrons proper now, however they’re massive shoppers.
They usually’re definitely influential within the purchases of their elders. Right here’s what you want to learn about their content material consumption habits.
Video Choice
Gen Alpha may be very younger. Its members have restricted independence and mobility, and over 50% own an iPad, so it’s no shock video is a well-liked medium.
In response to analysis agency Beano Brain, they suppose YouTube is “the best model.”
Shopper analysis platform GWI also found 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 training to leisure. The youngest members are nonetheless in diapers, watching Ms. Rachel and Cocomelon, whereas older youngsters 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 think about partnering with YouTube influencers. We’ve obtained a complete YouTube Marketing Guide and a free course to get you began. You may as well think about YouTube Ads.
Gaming As a Pastime
Whereas on their iPads, there’s additionally an excellent probability Gen Alpha is taking part in a sport like Roblox or Minecraft.
GWI discovered over 70% play digital video games every single day, making it their hottest pastime forward of watching TV/films, social media, or speaking to associates on different platforms.
These video games let gamers construct digital worlds they’ll 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 accessible for buy in these video games mimic these into actual life; they’re usually even branded. When you’ve got the means, discover how one can create a brand experience in a game like Roblox, get featured in their marketing channels, or run ads.
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 also can compete in numerous mini-games reminiscent of 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 also can 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 every single day — and that’s with it already sitting with over $450 million in the US alone.
What content material consumption habits do you want to know to get a bit of the pie?
Be taught much more about Gen Z buying habits and how to align as a marketer.
Social Media Dominance
In response to the World Financial Discussion board, Gen Z spends a mean of nearly three hours per day on social media. That’s greater than another technology, 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 through a social media app up to now three months. In addition they flip to it for leisure, training, and socializing.
Our survey additionally discovered Gen Z’s high three social media platforms are TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, however according to Morning Consult, Snapchat is just not far behind.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Discover other ways to determine a presence on social media. Standard choices embrace creating video content material (a favorite of Gen Z), working paid advertisements, user-generated content campaigns, and working with influencers.
Content Hub options like Social Inbox and Content Remix may help execute social methods to achieve Gen Z in HubSpot as effectively.
Trusting Influencers
In terms of buy selections, our analysis found that Gen Z finds suggestions from influencers much more essential than these from family and friends. And their impression doesn’t cease there.
Gen Z finds influencers and content material creators relatable and trustworthy. As The Drum defined, they comply with 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 additionally their private views.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Discover which influencers and creators your Gen Z patrons comply with and for those who can doubtlessly associate with them. Maybe you can ship them a free product to put up about or work on a bigger content material collaboration.
Be taught extra about your choices for influencer marketing 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 might be seen of their content material consumption habits.
Mingling with Social Media
Social media began to rise in the course of 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 each day information from social media and over 60% their financial education.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Intention to educate millennial audiences on social media. This is likely one of the only methods to showcase your experience and construct the trusting relationships wanted to ultimately make a purchase order.
Be taught extra about the most effective types of social media content.
Podcasts
Podcasts additionally got here of age alongside millennials. eMarketer discovered that 64.2% of the generation take heed to podcasts, whereas Edison Research found millennials and older members of Gen Z flip to them greater than another age group.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Take into account starting a podcast in your viewers or maybe sponsoring or advertising on a podcast you understand your viewers already listens to. Each of those choices will provide help to get your advertising and marketing message into millennials’ ears — actually and figuratively.
HubSpot has created a number of podcasts over time, together with Marketing Against the Grain.
However right now, we even have a large podcast network that brings collectively many applications our viewers can be taught from.
Many podcast streaming platforms, like Spotify, additionally offer ads.
Talking of streaming…
Subscription Companies
A current Kagan US Consumer 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 providers.
Sounds to me like one technology may have a subscription detox.
Out of those video subscription providers, 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, in fact, you’ll be able to’t get authentic content material in your favourite streaming platform — that might be cool although, proper? However increasingly more streaming services are offering ad-supported tiers, so you’ll be able to nonetheless promote your services or products to viewers.
According to a study by eMarketer, people of all ages watch video with ad-supported subscriptions a minimum of as soon as a month, with 80% of Amazon Prime Video subscribers choosing ad-supported.
Relying in your millennial viewers’s preferences, these could possibly be a fantastic choice for getting their consideration.
If these advertisements are out of your finances, you too can discover artistic methods to include widespread streaming reveals into your content material. Take into account how HubSpot integrated the HBO sequence “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) are usually not 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 total tv viewership is trending downward in favor of streaming, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found members of Gen X watch a mean 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 favorite source of daily news, behind social media.
And this is smart. Gen X grew up in the course of the preliminary arrival of residence tv.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Tv advertisements is probably not essentially the most “inbound” technique, however they’ll nonetheless be efficient for reaching nostalgic Gen X audiences. Be taught extra in regards to the potential in our Ultimate Guide to TV Ads.
Affinity for Mature Social Media
Whereas of an older age when launched to social media, Gen X have additionally grow to be massive followers of the medium.
The truth is, 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. Nevertheless, 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 and marketing. Whereas waning in recognition with people beneath 45, the platform is simply rising with Gen X and Child Boomers. Listed here are some sources to get you began:
Child Boomer Content material Consumption Habits
Child boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) had been the most important technology in the USA till millennials arrived.
As Investopedia explains, they often stay “economically and politically influential due to their giant numbers and the relative prosperity of the U.S. financial system throughout their working careers.”
So, their content material consumption habits are price noting.
Tv
Child boomers dramatically favor TV to different content material mediums.
93% turn to it for almost all of their weekly media consumption, and whereas they’ve subscription providers, the quantity solely hovers around 2.5 per family, 4 lower than Gen Z or millennials.
However what are they watching? Except for embracing shows like Yellowstone and Dancing with the Stars for leisure, additionally they flip to community and cable information as their preferred channels for each day information.
46% report watching stay, main different generations by 14%.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Like with Gen X, television ads stands out as the approach to go to get in entrance of child boomers, however you too can think about trying 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, baby boomers love social media simply as a lot as their generational successors.
Like Gen X, our report reveals their high platforms to be Fb (70% have visited the location within the final three months) and YouTube, with these two additionally main for his or her free video consumption, according to Kagan.
Not like different generations, nevertheless, our research found 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 could possibly be the key to leaving a mark on child boomers.
You may as well strive going stay on Fb or YouTube. Try:
What content material consumption habits do all generations have in widespread?
Regardless of their variations, all generations appear to agree on three issues in terms 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 a different way and frequenting different channels, however they’re all utilizing it.
So, no matter who your audience is, you’ll be able to’t ignore social in your technique.
Learn “How to Create a Great Social Media Strategy in 2024 (+ New Data)”
The identical might be mentioned for video. Throughout each technology, the choice for visible and auditory content material is clear, whereas written (i.e., newsletters and information websites) have gotten more and more much less widespread.
Plus, video is understood to be extra memorable and fascinating than static textual content alone.
All that mentioned, spend money on video advertising and marketing — 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 Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing.
Lastly, 72% of all respondents of our survey reported planning on utilizing gen AI-powered seek for purchasing sooner or later. 79% of those that have already used it admit it provided a greater expertise than conventional search engines like google.
So, keep apprised of those habits and how one can adapt your advertising and marketing to them.
Learn AI in Digital Marketing — The Complete Guide.
Are shoppers content material along with your content material?
Content material advertising and marketing is right here to remain, however how shoppers work together with it’s evolving. As mentioned earlier, no two shoppers are alike — even throughout the similar technology.
However utilizing data-backed tendencies and content material consumption habits, like these shared right here, may help you create a sensible technique that you would be able to 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 typically.