Whether you own an online publication that caters to mobile users or you write for such an outfit, then you may have been wondering just who to go after next in terms of reader demographics. While common sense may tell us to target mobile tech-obsessed younger audiences and millennials, it seems that the older generation is quickly catching up—not just in terms of content consumption but also in the usage of mobile and smart technologies to consume said content.
It may actually be time for mobile news outfits, especially those who earn their revenue through a subscription billing model for publishers, to start catering to this particular demographic as well.
The growing interest of older consumers in mobile technology and mobile media
This paradigm shift has been observed by quite a few think tanks and market research groups in the past few years. One recent study from the Pew Research Center showed that 67% of Americans ages 65 and above consumed mobile news in 2017—a marked 24% increase from 2016. The same was true for those aged 50 to 64, with 79% saying they read the news from tablets and smartphones. That’s only a 16 % leap from 2016’s 63% figure, but it’s still a considerable bump.
And it’s not just news that the older generation is interested in consuming. Wall Street research firm Barclays revealed through a report published by FierceCable that between the first quarters of 2016 and 2017, there was 45% increase in the number of adults aged 50-64 who watched videos online. Online video watchers aged 65 and up also rose, with a 36% increase from the first quarter 2016. Conversely, traditional TV viewing saw a sharp decline for the first time in years, specifically among Americans in the age 50-64 bracket.
The assistive benefits of mobile technology in online media consumption
What could be the reason for this catch-up act? One possible reason we can point to is that the senior population is just finding out just how convenient it is to get all the information they need in one device, something that they can carry wherever they go—the same kind of benefit that has enamored the younger populations toward mobile technologies.
This was proven through another recent Pew Research study, where it was discovered that once seniors got over the difficult hump of learning how to operate the mobile device they bought, most of them—a whopping 76%—then proceeded to consuming a high level of online media daily. They are found to be very active in social media as well, with 70% of older adults who use Facebook indicating that they logged in to the service several times daily.
Another reason for this uptick could be that older readers are now finding that mobile technologies are actually assistive in their media consumption activities. Unlike with traditional forms of media (such as TV and newspapers), a mobile device allows the user to enlarge font sizes, to zoom in on videos, as well as slow down and repeat playback on the spot.
The question though is: would it be profitable for mobile news publishers to cater to this new demographic? The answer is a resounding yes. Just like their younger counterparts, the older generations are made up of voracious media consumers, and there is no doubt that they can and will pay for more content if given the option. The burden then is on mobile publishers to make their subscription payment process more accessible and streamlined in order to facilitate use for older users.
The time is ripe for mobile publishers to target a new audience
With this proven trend of an older population increasingly turning to mobile technologies and media, mobile publishers are now presented with a unique opportunity to roll out strategies that can attract readers from more age demographics rather than simply focusing on just one or two.
The fact that they are now also free to focus on strengthening their online mobile content rather than dividing their resources between digital and traditional media also allows them to target this bigger and more diverse audience base better than ever before. This, of course, can translate to more readership—and more revenue in the long term.