We thought of sharing with you the “top ten” this and the “best 5” that but truthfully, finite lists of things you can do to grow your business online mean nothing without a solid understanding of the obvious: People.  Specifically, the people you would like to do business with, whether they are your potential clients, your suppliers, your advisors or your advocates.

1.7 Billion people use the Internet.  This is great information but alone, it is NOT ENOUGH.  What you really need to know is WHO are these people and WHAT drives their behavior.  Do they all share the same values and beliefs regarding family, career, the work/life balance and leadership styles? Once you know this, now you can develop a plan to hang out in the “right” places having the “right” conversations with the “right” people at the “right” time.
Now you have some powerful information that can be transformed into best practices…and serious ROI.

So, who are these people?
Today’s world is most definitely a multi-generational one.  Traditionalists, BabyBoomers, Gen X, Y and Z all live on this planet and each generation has its own set of expectations, needs and values.   And, more than ever before, these “groups” of people are all interacting with each other on a daily basis which makes for some very interesting times! After all, the Traditionalists, BabyBoomers, Gen X, Y and Z all have a very different idea of the way the world is supposed to be based on their experiences of the world. And, of course, their experiences are not the same.
Understanding the needs, expectations and values of the generational groups and aligning yourself with those needs, expectations and values will place you in the “indispensable” category for businesses’ that really get it.

Who is in the world today?
Traditionalists
Anyone who is 64 years or older is considered to be part of this group.   Having lived through two war time eras, these people tend to respect law and order, be disciplined and like consistency.  They are not comfortable with change.  They have fixed views on gender roles and in the workplace are very comfortable with a directive, command and control style of management.  This group values security, comfort and familiarity.

BabyBoomers
People between the ages of 46 and 64 years are considered BabyBoomers.  Without exception, this is the largest segment of the population today.  This group’s expectations, needs and values have been shaped by their world experiences: the Vietnam war, the Civil Rights movement, The Twilight Zone, “flower power” of the 60’s, Aids and other social issues.  In their youth they were open-minded and rebellious but embraced conservatism in the 30’s and 40’s.   Ultimately, this generation can be characterized as optimistic, ambitious and loyal. They believe employment is for life and place great importance on job status and social standing.   This group is not “retiring” so much as making changes with their work.  Being committed, hard working and career focused, leading them to be tagged “workaholics” by Gen X and Y, they have a reputation for being expensive, difficult to manage, resistant to new skills, abhor change and are not up to date with new technologies.  The reality is that many of them aren’t ready to ‘not’ work and are therefore proving to be more flexible than given credit for.

Gen X
Gen X is made up of 30-45 year olds.  Dubbed the “latchkey” generation, Gen X grew up in the 70’s with both parents working and were exposed to daycare and divorce. Representing 60 percent of the current workforce, they are well educated, fiercely independent, resourceful, adaptable and highly entrepreneurial.  Unlike the generations before them, they value and embrace change and therefore tend to change employment and even careers frequently and will leave a job, despite the money, if they are unhappy. They are career oriented but place a strong emphasis on family time.  They enjoy freedom and autonomy and demand flexibility.  They are skeptical of authority.  They are not interested in long-term careers, corporate loyalty or status symbols but rather focus on relationships, strong outcomes, personal rights and heightened skills.  Gen X thrives on diversity, challenge, responsibility, honesty and creative output.  They are tech savvy and open to change.

Gen Y
Gen Y is made up of 10-30 year olds.  Known as the Millenia or Net Generation, Gen Y are technological whiz kids who will occupy almost half of the working population by 2020. This group is superbly comfortable with digital technology.  This also means that they are highly flexible and embrace change on the fly.  Excellent multi-taskers (can you text while taking courses, playing sports, talking on the phone and playing a computer game?), they are seriously impatient and expect instant gratification.  After all, they have always had all the info they need at their fingertips via the Internet.

Gen Y embraces platform communication like facebook, email, Instant Messaging, texting and blogs in addition to online training and web-based delivery systems.  This is exactly the opposite of the preceding generations who prefer “face time” communication and learning. Being smart, creative, productive and achievement oriented, Gen Y is looking for personal growth and meaningful careers with strong mentors who can encourage them.
Gen Y are not brand loyal.  Seeking constant stimulation and growth experience, they expect great workplace flexibility and are likely to change employers even more than Gen X if they aren’t getting what they want.
Gen Y, as a result of their environment, focus on entitlement, reward, promotion and development.  This has been challenging as other generations have characterized them as arrogant, lazy, selfish and unethical.  Ironically, if you give them what they are looking for – stimulation, experience, rewards, training and inspiration – they will take business to a whole new level.

Gen Z
This group is still in the baby, toddler and kid stage being ten years or younger.  These kids will never know a world without technology, the Internet, computers and mobile communication and thus instant action and satisfaction will help to characterize this group.  With the increased understanding of Quantum science and spiritual principles, many demographic experts predict Gen Z’s will also return values such as respect, responsibility and restraint to the world.  This group will have an enlightened approach to living and working and this, combined with technology, will mean unimagined change for the world as we know it.


So, what’s next?
Really understanding where these people’s needs, values and expectations are and where they come from can be essential when developing an online marketing plan aimed at delivering the “right” message to the “right” person at the “right” time using the “right” tool.  

Now, while this is great information, I know that some of you reading this are thinking, “great information but I’m working with Traditionalists and BabyBoomers so I don’t really need to align myself with the Gen X, Y and Zers” aka I don’t need to develop a web presence because my opportunities are with people who haven’t embraced technology.  
Well, let me be the first to tell you why this thinking is erroneous. While 18-24 year-olds may not be your target market, IAB Canada’s CMUST study (see March newsletter) also demonstrates that Canadians carry their media habits with them as they age. Because the high levels of Internet usage exhibited by 18-24 and 25-34 year olds today will become high levels of usage for the 35-54 year-old age group eight years from now, businesses whose target market is in that range, have only a short time to learn how to use Online media channels such as Video and Social Media to drive results for their brands.

With that in mind, and a newfound appreciation for the beliefs and behavior of the people you would like to have as clients, suppliers, advisors and advocates, now is the time to embrace, change and move forward!

Reference Sources:
1. Elissa Collier, articlesbase.com/careers-articles/workplace-warfare, ArticlesBase SC #1448203
2. Jo Jackson, Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z, Genetics & Evolution.