Let’s play a sport: Inform me how previous you’re with out telling me how previous you’re.
Unsure how you can reply? Nicely, chances are high your content material consumption habits offer you away.
For example, I really like Instagram and Netflix however have left my Snapchat stage behind and don’t perceive Roblox.
(In the event you’re scratching your head, don’t fear. By the top of this text, you’ll be capable to 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 devour data is crucial to getting your messages seen and heard. Nevertheless, the specifics can differ dramatically based mostly on age and technology.
Let’s break down a few of every technology’s most distinguished content material consumption habits based mostly on information and how you can form your technique with them in thoughts.
Content material Consumption Habits By Technology
To be actual, I don’t wish to put anybody in a field. Everybody’s totally different. Utilizing me for example once more, I really love watching tv and community information, however that is unusual with others in my technology.
All shoppers are distinctive, however that stage of personalization as a marketer isn’t actually life like. Basic benchmarks and statistical information, like these under, can inform a technique you later check and refine.
Hold this in thoughts as we focus on:
Be aware: Many of those developments are pulled from HubSpot’s 2024 Shopper Traits Report, based mostly on our survey of over 700 US shoppers.
You’ll be able to obtain the complete report right 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 huge shoppers.
They usually’re actually influential within the purchases of their elders. Right here’s what you could learn about their content material consumption habits.
Video Desire
Gen Alpha could 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 assume YouTube is “the best model.”
Shopper 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 training 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? In the event you’re attempting to get in entrance of Gen Alpha, put money into YouTube Advertising or take into account partnering with YouTube influencers. We’ve obtained a complete YouTube Advertising Information and a free course to get you began. It’s also possible to take into account YouTube Adverts.
Gaming As a Pastime
Whereas on their iPads, there’s additionally a very good likelihood Gen Alpha is enjoying a sport like Roblox or Minecraft.
GWI discovered over 70% play digital video games day-after-day, making it their hottest pastime forward of watching TV/films, social media, or speaking to pals on different platforms.
These video games let gamers construct digital worlds they’ll discover with real-life pals who’re additionally enjoying. They’re additionally working to boost 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 typically even branded. When you’ve got 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 house 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 comparable to tag, the ground is lava and dodgeball with their pals.”
“Nikeland leverages accelerometers on a consumer’s cell gadget 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 coming into their late 20s, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2009) is rising in spending energy day-after-day — and that’s with it already sitting with over $450 million within the US alone.
What content material consumption habits do you could know to get a chunk of the pie?
Be taught much more about Gen Z shopping for habits and how you can align as a marketer.
Social Media Dominance
Based on the World Financial Discussion board, Gen Z spends a median of practically three hours per day on social media. That’s greater than every other technology, and there’s little or no they don’t do there.
HubSpot analysis exhibits social media is Gen Z’s #1 channel for product discovery, and 43% have purchased one thing by way of a social media app up to now three months. Additionally 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 based on Morning Seek the advice of, Snapchat just isn’t far behind.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Discover other ways to ascertain a presence on social media. Well-liked choices embrace creating video content material (a favourite of Gen Z), working paid advertisements, user-generated content material campaigns, and working with influencers.
Content material Hub options like Social Inbox and Content material Remix may also help execute social methods to succeed in Gen Z in HubSpot as properly.
Trusting Influencers
On the subject of buy selections, our analysis found that Gen Z finds suggestions from influencers much more vital than these from family and friends. And their affect 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 additionally 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 probably companion with them. Maybe you possibly can ship them a free product to publish 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 id 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 monetary training.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Purpose to educate millennial audiences on social media. This is without doubt one of the simplest methods to showcase your experience and construct the trusting relationships wanted to finally make a purchase order.
Be taught extra about the best forms of social media content material.
Podcasts
Podcasts additionally got here of age alongside millennials. eMarketer discovered that 64.2% of the technology hearken to podcasts, whereas Edison Analysis discovered millennials and older members of Gen Z flip to them greater than every other age group.
What are you able to do as a marketer? Contemplate beginning a podcast to your viewers or maybe sponsoring or promoting on a podcast you already know your viewers already listens to. Each of those choices will make it easier to get your advertising message into millennials’ ears — actually and figuratively.
HubSpot has created a number of podcasts through the years, together with Advertising Towards the Grain.
However in the present day, we even have a big podcast community that brings collectively many applications our viewers can study from.
Many podcast streaming platforms, like Spotify, additionally provide advertisements.
Talking of streaming…
Subscription Providers
A current Kagan US Shopper Insights exhibits millennials spend 9 hours per day on digital leisure.
It could shock you, nonetheless, that extra of this time is spent listening to music (2.8 hours) and enjoying 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 technology might have a subscription detox.
Out of those video subscription companies, the preferred 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 may’t get authentic content material in your favourite streaming platform — that may be cool although, proper? However increasingly streaming companies are providing ad-supported tiers, so you may nonetheless promote your services or products to viewers.
Based on a research 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 an incredible possibility for getting their consideration.
If these advertisements are out of your price range, you can even discover inventive methods to include in style streaming exhibits into your content material. Contemplate how HubSpot integrated 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) will not be 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 each day information, 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 Final Information to TV Adverts.
Affinity for Mature Social Media
Whereas of an older age when launched to social media, Gen X have additionally turn out to be huge 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. 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. Whereas waning in reputation with people beneath 45, the platform is simply rising with Gen X and Child Boomers. Listed below are some assets to get you began:
Child Boomer Content material Consumption Habits
Child boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) had been the biggest technology in america till millennials arrived.
As Investopedia explains, they typically stay “economically and politically influential due to their massive numbers and the relative prosperity of the U.S. economic 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% 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? Other than embracing exhibits like Yellowstone and Dancing with the Stars for leisure, in addition they flip to community and cable information as their most well-liked channels for each 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 often is the technique to go to get in entrance of child boomers, however you can even take into account wanting into a few of their favourite exhibits 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 exhibits 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, based on Kagan.
Not like different generations, nonetheless, 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 could possibly be the key to leaving a mark on child boomers.
It’s also possible to strive going dwell on Fb or YouTube. Take a look at:
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 study new issues or get concepts. Maybe they’re utilizing it otherwise and frequenting totally different channels, however they’re all utilizing it.
So, no matter who your audience is, you may’t ignore social in your technique.
Learn “Learn how to Create a Nice Social Media Technique in 2024 (+ New Information)”
The identical might be stated for video. Throughout each technology, the desire 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 interesting than static textual content alone.
All that stated, put money into video advertising — whether or not it’s a tv advert, Instagram Reel, YouTube Channel, or a bunch 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.
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 — The Full Information.
Are shoppers content material along with your content material?
Content material advertising 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 identical technology.
However utilizing data-backed developments and content material consumption habits, like these shared right here, may also help you create a sensible technique that you would be able to check 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 generally is a little mysterious generally.