The race is on to reach and engage the ultra-connected consumers who have Internet access throughout their day, inside and outside the home. Younger consumers who have grown used to being connected have no resistance to buying online, as opposed to a belief that senior consumers are not interested in mobile commerce. Marketers who target and win the attention and loyalty of the consumer-buying public on cellphones and tablets have the best chance of survival and growth. Today’s online audience has been defined as very young, technology savvy, and impulsive. But is that the whole picture? Marketers are now targeting and reaching the 15-and-under age group, which is the newest group who love to buy online, but in order to see the big picture, they need to expand their scope.

Youth Marketing typically refers to the the age range of 12 to 34. Now, more specifically, there is the Tween Marketing, targeting people in the 8 to 12 year-old range, Teen Marketing, targeting people age 13 to 19, College Marketing, targeting college-age consumers, typically ages 18 to 23, Young Adult Marketing, targeting young professionals, typically ages 22 and above.

The youth market is critical because of the demographic buying power and their influence on the spending of family members, not to mention that our youth are the biggest users of smart phones and tablets, and therefore have a huge impact on targeted advertising.

*The youth are more impulsive
*They do not price shop and compare
*Trends influence their shopping and buying habits

On the other side of the coin…

Senior Marketing is a market sometimes overlooked in a technology growing society, but when you consider their net worth, time they have during the day, and loyalty to brand names and products, it would be foolish to not include them in your overall marketing strategy. Misconceptions that seniors do not use technology, or are afraid of it, could be a huge marketing downfall. According to articlebase.com, seniors are all over the Internet, they just differ from the youth in how they buy online.

* They spend more time online and on the site, they read more of the copy, they surf longer.
* They have more money to spend/ invest as they control more than 70% of the country’s wealth
* They are are interested in investing in, or starting some kind of business opportunity.
* Spend more on luxury products and services
* They are convenience oriented
* They choose products based on brand name and quality
* They have and use more credit

Understanding the differences between the shopping habits of youth and senior markets is key to your mobile and e-commerce marketing strategy. But making sure to include both in your overall plan will help ensure your success.

articlebase.com