Best Practices
Can Generational Marketing Increase Class Registrations?
Do your kids’ classes always have waiting lists, but you struggle to fill the adult rosters? Or maybe you’re offering classes to adults of all ages, but only seniors are signing up. What’s going on?
If your kids’ classes fill up but your senior and teen classes don’t, you may want to consider your marketing approach. Generational differences could be a factor.
It may be that your marketing only resonates with audiences of a certain age. If you want to reach more age-diverse markets and grow your enrollments, you may want to consider generational marketing.
Generational marketing is a marketing strategy that considers the preferences and needs of audiences based on their age. While it is possible to over focus on generational differences, this approach can help ensure that your marketing appeals across age groups.
Some Context for Generational Marketing
Generational marketing relies on a handful of categories broken up by birth years:
- Baby Boomers: 1946-1964
- Generation X: 1965-1980
- Millennials: 1981-1996
- Generation Z: 1997-2012
- Generation Alpha: 2012-Present
Generational marketing focuses on the age of the intended audience to make generalizations about what that audience might want. For example, a Boomer might prefer to call your administrative staff to get information, while a Millennial might prefer to go online. But keep in mind that these generalizations do not perfectly describe every member of that age group.
Age is a continuum but the categories have start and end dates. So a person born in 1997 may not technically be a millennial, but might have more in common with that group than with someone in their own generation who was born in 2012.
The dates above come from the Pew Research Center, but other groups and organizations may use different cut-offs. Generational categories are not standardized. They are loose characterizations generally agreed upon.
The two most important generational differences to keep in mind are consumer behavior and technology use by age group.
With that being said, there are some generational differences that are useful to keep in mind. The two most important are consumer behavior and technology use by age group.
Technology Use by Age Group
People of all ages are using mobile devices more often. Nearly half of all web traffic in North America comes from mobile devices. As of 2019, about 17% of Gen Xers primarily use their smartphone to access the internet. However, the number of Boomers who have smartphones has been rising steadily since 2011. About 11% of Boomers say a smartphone is their primary internet device. These percentages have almost certainly increased in the last five years.
- Make sure both your website and your registration forms are mobile-friendly.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are shifting away from traditional search engines. Rather than directly searching for a product or service, they’re more likely to passively discover it on social media. Discovery can happen through ads, influencers, or sharing posts with friends.
- Consistent and engaging social media posts and ads are an effective way to reach younger audiences.
But keep in mind that Boomers tend to be much less social media-focused. Only a small minority of Boomers use social media to shop. These audiences are more likely to use search or even television ads to discover products and services.
- Don’t rely solely on social media for marketing. Good search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search ads can help you reach Boomer audiences.
Younger audiences also don’t use email the same way their parents and grandparents do. They may have a school or work email, but their personal life happens through text and social media.
- SMS-based marketing and text reminders for classes can help keep younger audiences engaged.
Consumer Behavior by Age Group
The pandemic pushed many people to embrace online shopping. Boomers in particular appreciated the simplicity and ease of shopping from home. When pandemic restrictions were lifted, that habit held on. Millennials were the first generation to fully embrace online shopping, and younger groups have followed that trend.
- Create a fully online class registration and payment system and streamline it so it’s easy for all ages to use.
When it comes to disposable income, Boomers have the clear advantage. Older consumers have a higher median net worth than their younger counterparts. Many are also more willing to spend on discretionary items, like travel or enrichment classes.
- Big-ticket, high-value classes can attract older audiences. Payment plans can make these classes accessible to younger, more budget-conscious learners.
Keep in mind that while all groups may enroll themselves, Millennials may be looking for classes for their children. Boomers may be registering their grandchildren and Gen Xers could be doing either or both.
- Group registration makes it easy for adults to enroll the whole family. And don’t forget that marketing for kids’ classes should appeal to parents as well.
Meet Potential Students Where They Are
It’s possible to get too focused on generational differences and stray into the realm of stereotypes. Remember, there tend to be more differences within a group than there are between groups. Some Gen Xers love email. Plenty of Boomers are tech savvy. And Millennials may be child-free.
The best way to use generational marketing is as a troubleshooting checklist. Does your program marketing account for the range of preferences that may affect your audience?
For example, at CourseStorm, we know that some audiences prefer to register for classes by phone while others prefer to complete the transaction online. Generally, this preference tends to be tied to age, but not always. To serve both groups, we encourage customers to use the full online registration system, but also provide a phone number so their in-house staff can complete a registration for someone who is uncomfortable with technology.
Your marketing can take a similar approach by offering variations and options that appeal to different groups.
Dig Below the Surface to Get to Know Your Audience
One powerful way to make sure you’re marketing to every generation is to create student personas, representations of each type of student based on what you know about them. Using student personas can help you better understand your students so you can create classes and marketing materials that resonate with them. Learn how to create student personas that can increase class registrations.
Natasha Wahid
Natasha is a seasoned marketing leader with a curious mind and a passion for storytelling and community. A mission-driven person, Natasha has spent the majority of her career in industries that impact people, including HR and education technology. A firm believer in lifelong learning, Natasha is currently sharpening her roller skating skills and dusting off her Italian.