People respond to people, not computer-generated messages or technical manuals. But how do you create and broadcast quality content to a patient population that may span across seven decades?
In this blog series, we will discuss how to use generational marketing to reach your patient base.
Creating authentic messages for each generation
Generational marketing is an approach that recognizes generations as cohorts with unique preferences, attitudes, and upbringings. Understanding these generational attributes can help clinics relate to a wider range of patients and prospective patients alike.
According to the Pew Research Center, the breakdown of generational cohorts are as follows: Baby boomers (born 1946-1964), Gen X (born 1965-1980), millennials (born 1981-1996), and Gen Z (born 1997 to present). This blog series will provide an introductory marketing strategy that all ophthalmic clinics should consider when marketing to different ages. Once your clinic has some data from initial marketing efforts to different age ranges, you can evaluate and see what resonates best with your particular populations. By doing so, you have the added benefit of not only age but demographic location and its influence on your patients and marketing.
Similarities across generations
However, before we can look at how generations differ, we must realize that they have some foundational similarities:
- People in each generation have some sort of purchasing power and are spending money. The how and where people spend money might vary.
- 87% of consumers across generations say their time is the most important factor in customer service.
- Believe it or not, social media resonates with all. Each generation has a large, complex, and interconnected web of communications across one or more social media platforms.
The key to marketing across generations? Acknowledge that every generation has some sort of purchasing power, make it worth someone’s time, and engage with patients on social media.
But what’s the best way to accomplish this? Stay tuned for an in-depth look at these generational cohorts in the following weeks!
Check out part 2: Baby Boomers