This sponsored article was written by Christina Millet, National Brand Manager – Strategic Healthcare Accounts, with ReachLocal. Christina has worked in marketing for more than 13 years with a concentration on digital marketing for the past nine years. Her professional career has been focused on national, multi-location brands in healthcare, education, and the wellness industries.
Mining for data focused on what age your visitors are and how they behave online allows you to better pinpoint how each generation steps into the customer journey and which touchpoints you need to establish to meet them there. 
How do I better understand generational needs?
The differences in how generations view healthcare are often starkly contrasted. Younger generations (i.e. Millennials and Gen-Z) are more skeptical of healthcare systems than older generations (i.e. baby boomers and Gen-X), but still want results now and, thus, are more likely to ask questions and research.
Leverage available demographic data.
Times change and so do people — knowing how different generations decide on their care providers can help make your marketing efforts more multifaceted.
Based on a study we conducted around the modern patient consumer journey, when it comes to finding care online, patients 35 and under were more likely to use a search engine before seeking out an official diagnosis than those over 35, suggesting the patient journey starts earlier for younger people.
These vastly different approaches show the importance that leveraging available demographic data, whether internal (i.e. from your website and other marketing channels) or external (i.e. from industry insights), can have on your practice.
For younger generations, give them digestible, branded content (yet another reason to love video!) because they value their time and because 63% of younger customers will associate with a brand if it shows them loyalty.
Nearly 70.7% of Americans 65 or over, meanwhile, are Internet users and 51% are on social media, so put your messages where they have the best chance of connecting. Say you’re running a campaign for flu shots, use your social channels to provide information, videos and other content to diffuse apprehension and show the importance around getting vaccinated.
Even though the differences are stark between generations, having the right data allows you to run a more diverse campaign and talk to as many potential patience as possible.
About ReachLocal:
As part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, ReachLocal now offers even more complete marketing solutions. We have experience assisting thousands of healthcare and wellness providers with more than a decade’s worth of data insights and digital marketing expertise. USA TODAY NETWORK can help you cut through the noise and uncover the smarter way to reach local consumers and grow your business.