As much as people complain about differences in the values held by each generation, in reality it has more to do with their age. As generations grow older, they find themselves interested in the same things as their parents were – for millennials, this means leaving the big city and moving to the suburbs, where they can raise a family. (And if they didn’t already, they’ll need a car to get around, too.)
Even though generations end up valuing the same things, however, they don’t live life in the same ways. Most importantly for shops, generations don’t consume information in the same ways. You can’t market to people unless you can reach them – here’s how to reach each generation needing auto repair.
Baby Boomers
People born in the mid-40s to the mid-60s made it all the way through college without having to use a computer. They were advanced in their career before the internet or smartphones were required to be successful. As a result, most baby boomers don’t rely primarily on the internet for their information. Boomers are more likely to prefer to communicate via phone or email rather than text messaging or social media. They respond to traditional media such as mailers and television or radio ads, and respond well to discounts. Internet advertising is less effective for most boomers.
Generation X
Generation X are those born from the mid-60s to the early 80s. This generation was exposed to technology earlier in their careers, but spent more of their formative years without the internet, which wasn’t widely available until the late 90s.
The good news is that this group can be reached either through new or traditional media – although internet advertising is more efficient, they also watch TV and respond to mailers. The bad news is that this group was exposed to so much marketing during their lives that they became very cynical and distrusting of it. The more “sales-y” your marketing is, the less effective it will be.
Millennials
Millennials were born from the early 80s to the early 2000s. Many of them have never known a time when the internet wasn’t their primary source of information and entertainment. Most have been using social media since they were old enough to drive, and they use it regularly. Traditional media is mostly ineffective for this group, because they don’t use it – even if they watch TV shows, they’re more likely to stream them over the internet than to tune in when the show first airs.
Like all generations when they were young, they are also more idealistic than older people. They want to support responsible businesses who help their employees and contribute to their community. They won’t do business with people they think are uncaring of their employees or their community, even if it will save them money. To attract Millennials, be honest, be positive, and most of all, you need to be marketing your services online.
To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your repair shop gain more business, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.