Trying to reach Gen X? Try YouTube
If your target market was born between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s—current 40- and 50-year-old people—then you are trying to reach Generation X.
While they were born before the internet, they were young enough to embrace the technology changes.
There are three critical Gen X tendencies for viewing YouTube videos:
Reminiscing About The Past. 75% watch YouTube videos that relate to past events or people - whether an advertisement or a scene from a television show or movie. Most viewed are videos that relate to past music events or musicians. Next come the videos about past entertainment and pop culture and then the ones that relate to past commercials. For example, most will remember the majesty of the Budweiser commercial Clydesdales or the Doublemint Gum Twins!
Staying Informed. 68% watch to keep current on news and pop culture so they can connect with what their children are interested in and stay abreast of what’s happening in the world.
DIY At Their Convenience. 73% view videos to learn how to do something - taking instruction at their own pace. The most popular videos are those on home improvement, home repair, and cooking. Other popular topics searched are videos about technology use, technology repair, arts and crafts, and beauty and personal care.
Research shows 75% of Gen X watch YouTube at least monthly and 64% bought a product or service they saw on a YouTube video. So, what does this mean for your company or brand? All that exposure offers an opportunity to impact the bottom line and your ROI.
Ideas to consider when posting videos to expand your marketing brand are actions such as:
- Make it an empowering ad - one that encourages and celebrates the individual for what they can accomplish, breaking stereotypes rather than reinforcing them, like Dove, Nike or Special K.
- Use online metrics to measure audience attention
- Design more ads for mobile devices
- Ensure the ad is geared to the right age group
Companies influence this generation on YouTube in a big way. Research shows Gen X accounts for over 1.5 billion views daily. If you are trying to reach this group, try your ads on YouTube. If you need help getting your digital ads on YouTube contact Penguin Suits. We would love to help with your company’s marketing.
