Content marketing reaches a wide audience, but different demographics of consumers respond differently to marketing messages.

Content marketing continues to expand its reach and educate consumers. According to a November 2012 report from nRelate entitled “Behavior Shift: Getting Content in Front of Consumers,” 92 percent of adults read and search for content online. These internet users spend approximately 7.2 hours a week looking for content, and their average session includes three to four blog content articles and two or three video content pieces. Forty-eight percent are more likely to click on related content after reading and engaging with a post.

“92 percent of adults read and search for content online.”

A significant percentage of consumers use the web for shopping research, but their actions and how they respond to content varies based on demographic. As brand ambassadors, professionals must develop content marketing strategies that provide readers with cross-channel custom content based on age and gender.

Content Age PreferencesA separate October 2012 survey from nRelate, relayed by eMarketer, suggests that age is a major factor in how people access and react to web content. For example, younger male internet users in the United States are more likely to click on related blog posts and videos after reading articles that pertain to their interests. More, older users click on links to related content weekly, and older females respond more effectively to stories images.

The October survey also notes that every demographic group preferred to access content via search results – 43 percent of respondents navigated to content via SERPs. Suggested articles featured at the bottom of content that internet users were reading came in second with 25 percent of people saying they tended to enjoy this research method more than any other. Content marketers should remember this when developing calls to action for further engagement on their site pages. Surprisingly, just 7 percent are more likely to conduct research and click on links posted on Facebook than on any other network – internet users between 18 and 34 years of age were more likely to use the social site than other demographics with 13 percent of men and 10 percent of women indicating they used the network for research purposes.

In order to deliver compelling content to prospects, brands must identify the type of media that effectively resonates with the ideal audience, and nRelate’s data provides some worthwhile insight. For example, based on the source’s data, younger male consumers would engage with written copy accompanied by video content, and females would respond to infographic marketing campaigns. Additionally, with the majority of internet users depending on search engines for research, optimizing content for SEO is an essential practice in the digital era.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.