How Generations Use the Internet

Posted by Karen Renzi

More demographic research that you can consider for your online marketing strategy: Pew Internet has put out a report about how generations use the Internet. This data can provide some good information for you as you consider the AGES of your customers.

Some key data points you may find helpful:

• Not surprisingly, “Generation X (not Y) is the most likely group to bank, shop, and look for health information online.”   My take: This generation seems to be the most likely to make a purchasing action online. If they are your target audience, make it easy for them to take that action online. They are active users and likely time-starved so usability is key.
• Older Americans, ages 70-75, showed the biggest increase in Internet use since 2005 – from 26% to 45%. My take: If your customers are older, don’t assume they are not tech-savvy. Almost half of them are online so you need to speak to them through that channel as well! Integrated campaigns which tie traditional media like newspapers or direct mail, to online media, may work especially well with this age demographic.
• “…email remains the most popular online activity, particularly among older internet users.” My take: It might not be the flashiest new communication trend, but email still is one of the most important and basic forms of communication. The exception – the younger generation, Generation Y, is less likely to rely on email. 

See the full report here (pdf).

Do you consider the AGE of your customers in how you market to them online? I’d love to hear your comments…

35% of Adults Use Social Networks

Posted by Karen Renzi

It’s not just something “those crazy kids!” are doing anymore. A recent report from the Pew Research Center shows that 35% of adult Internet users have a profile on a social networking site. That’s quadruple the percent reported in 2005 (8%).

And social networking opens a whole new world for marketers to consider adding to their marketing mix.

When should you consider adding social networks to your marketing plan? Only you can make that decision, but based on the data from the report, here are a few things that might influence you:

• Is a large chunk of your target market age 34 and under? 57% of those aged 25-34 have profiles, and 75% of those aged 18-24. Age seems to be the largest factor impacting usage.

Why Online Marketing Makes Even More Sense in a Down Economy

Posted by Karen Renzi

I was just reading this article on MediaPost about why this economy calls for online lead generation. While it’s specific to one type of service, it got me thinking of why now, more than ever, it makes sense to invest in online marketing strategy in general.

Presumably, when money is tight, the last thing you want to do is just toss it away. Marketing sometimes seems like a mysterious black hole – we know we have to put money into it to make money, but gosh darn it sometimes you just wonder where that money went.

This is EXACTLY why in many cases online marketing makes the most sense. While the precision of the metrics may sometimes be debatable – the bottom line is that in most cases online marketing is more measurable than traditional offline marketing. Here are just a few comparison examples:

• Traditional: Postcard Mailing. You know it worked only if someone references it when they call or redeem a coupon. You wait a few weeks to find out how many bad addresses you had when you get your RTS cards back.
• Online: Emailing. Within minutes, you know how many people opened your email, how many bounced, how many people clicked, and who clicked on what. You can leverage this for follow-up sales efforts immediately.