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Social Generations. Discover your ideal audience on YouTube

24 Apr, 2023
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Determining your target audience is one of the most difficult tasks for a beginner on YouTube. You may have just created your channel and wrestled with your choice of topic, and now you are left to ponder the question: who is my future subscriber?

Let us first try to categorize by age groups to make it easier to find an audience. First, divide it into generations. The current subscriber demographics on YouTube include grandparents, the baby boomer generation, fathers and mothers, generation X, and our generation Y along with our children's generation, generation Z or zoomers.

It'll be a lot easier for you to create an image of your ideal audience based on this classification. Examine the differences in generations, their values, and their YouTube demands. This will help provide a framework for classifying your audience.

Generational categorization is only a theory, or an information model, rather than a law. On the Internet, you can find people of all ages with different ways of thinking. You may come across people who do not adhere to the described ideology, or they may fit into these generalizations  very nicely . In this post, we use generation theory as a convenient and real way to describe audiences and get closer to their interests and points of view.

Baby-boomers (1946-1964) 60+

Our grandparents grew up in the postwar era. Their primary value was, and continues to be, survival. Because the contemporary world was built on their shoulders, family values and family unity will always be at the forefront of their minds. 

Examples of baby boomers who fight for the protection of humanity are numerous. For example, firefighters, doctors, and military personnel. They may love to witness vlogs that showcase a mission or purpose that benefits society as a whole.

Which niches will be most popular among baby boomers?

Almost all members of the generation 60+ grew up in a world where there was intense manual labor. Boomers worked on farms or in industries, and they actively interacted with farming and gardening. As a result, in their situation, the specialty "backyard-garden" will be the most appealing. Remember that this is mostly for the elderly, for whom health is important. As a result, they will be looking for topics that help maintain health, such as medicine, massages, gymnastics, and exercise.

A hobby is another type of specialty. People over the age of 60 are typically non-working retirees who like engaging in familiar hobbies such as crafts, hunting, fishing, logical puzzles such as sudoku, and so on.

Generation X (1965-1980) 43+

These are people who were raised in more peaceful realities than the post-war period. Their baby-boomer parents did everything they could to ensure that their children had a good education that would bring them a stable income as well as real estate in legacy. Therefore, Generation X could focus on self-realization and careers. They created a reliable foundation for raising their own children. Their idols are still heroes, but often in the face of parents who have experienced difficult times for the sake of their children and their future family.
For Generation X, knowledge is important, and higher education is important, so they insist on their children attending universities and continuing to develop themselves. 

The niches that will be most interesting for Generation X, are fairly wide range. They may also be interested in politics – they have a clear civic position – and cooking, as well as beauty and health. After all, age 43+ is a very transitional moment when you want to look young for as long as possible. Do not forget about knowledge: this audience is eagerly fascinated by history, because they were close in age to important world events, but did not necessarily experience them. Of course, these are active working people who have raised adult children and now can take care of themselves. Various hobbies, esoterics, and sports will be their immediate hobbies. 

The main distinctive feature of this generation is their desire for nostalgia. They miss their youth - the 70s, 80s, and 90s, so their choice of a hobby will tend to be what brings them back to their favorite years.

Generation Y «millennials» (1981-1996) 27+

Millennials are the fundamental and modern working generation, upon whom the future world heavily depends, given their diversity. Generation Y experienced crucial world events in the 20th century, such as the emergence of the developed internet. Thanks to the internet, people began to be interested in more than just continuing their lineage. They saw plenty of opportunities to build careers, travel, and value their own individuality.

This generation also includes young parents. While some may strive for success in their careers, diversity is still a priority. These individuals were raised by parents from Generation X, which means that family values are not alien to them.

 

image source: Generated by DALL•E

What topics are best for 27+?

To summarize, individuals aged 27 and above are interested in topics related to self-realization, such as travel, online learning, psychology, earning from their hobbies, investment, and technology. Topics related to beauty and health are also of interest. This age group is also in a transitional stage from adolescence and youth to adulthood, which implies a focus on personal growth and development.

As millennials grew up mostly on the internet, they have a keen interest in the world of cinema, music, the lives of celebrities, various TV shows, and series. They are also the most avid gamers. Society expects them to succeed in their careers while also prioritizing family values, so they need plenty of emotional outlets.
 

This generation also includes young parents who seek answers to questions about parenting, upbringing, and may include their children in watching YouTube videos. The quality of products advertised to their children is essential for Generation Y.

Generation Z «zoomers» (1997…)

Children of social media, photo, and video formats. There will be much fewer parents among them, as the age range starts at about ten years old and ends within twenty-five. What concerns the most modern generation? They have almost all the conditions for a comfortable life, so they spend their time on self-realization and self-development.

In this generation, you will meet more conscious people who think primarily about their own comfort, which is why they are so interested in the topic of psychology. They strive not for continuing their lineage, but rather for partnership, which can ultimately lead to continuing the lineage. They may be interested in environmentally friendly content.

By the way, on the issue of ecology. Of course, this is an audience that is most concerned about global issues: climate catastrophes, the preservation of wildlife, and tolerance and acceptance of people as they are.

What does the most conscious generation watch on YouTube?

It is important to develop both internally - through psychology, meditation, various spiritual practices,  ASMR - and externally by learning professions in IT and vlogging, and creating their own business. In terms of health, they will be more interested in yoga and functional training, and for leisure - gaming topics.

It is important to remember that this compilation is based on generalized, and sometimes even stereotypical, data. Therefore, it should not be taken as a definitive classification of generations. Our task is to provide you with a foundation that will make it easier to build on.

In an ideal world, your viewer's portrait would consist of unique data such as gender, geographic location, age - with a narrow selection of no more than 10–15 years - personal interests, family status, lifestyle, and so on. However, in-depth audience research like this cannot be achieved in just one month, and perhaps not even in a year. It is a multi-year experience. After all, it will take you only the first year to understand the value of your channel, determine the format, and identify all the distinctive features. 

We hope the above information has provided something beneficial for your channel’s growth. Keep creating, and good luck in developing your channel!

 

 

Author
Author

Sasha Lerman

Copywriter, writer, editor. Development and promotion on YouTube, as well as many other exciting topics.

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