Millennials have grown up online. They’re the generation that was born from 1977-1995. And they’re the most educated generation, but they’re also the most budget conscious.
Millennials are becoming your primary customers and clients, and as marketers, you need to find a way to get your message heard online.
It’s a group that values connection, experiences, and passion. Are you connecting with your audience and providing a unique and one-of-a-kind experience?
They like the personalization and engagement between themselves and your brand. They want immediate answers to their questions, and someone to take their complaints seriously. That’s why brands must have a presence on social media. The easier it is for millennials to engage in conversation, the better your chances of earning a loyal customer. That’s why it’s why it’s important to have a strong digital presence. Promote your business with Socialwick and their effective social media services.
Think about the way your audience is changing.
- 25% of the US population are now millennials.
- 50% of the workforce will be millennials by 2020.
- Millennials are spending $200 billion per year.
Their purchasing habits are distinctly different from Gen X and Baby Boomers. They’re not tied to one brand for their purchasing habits. While they may have a favorite, they will buy from competing brands if it provides more value for a product or service of interest.
As marketers, you have to find a way to connect on a personal level to earn trust and retain customers.
Develop or Refine Your Social Media Strategy
As a generation that has grown up online, they’re utilizing more and more platforms. You need to be where they are, and go to them to present your message.
You can’t just optimize your website and hope to get found through Google search. There are many other platforms where your marketing will prove to be beneficial and establish connections with millennials.
Think Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and of course, Facebook. Grow your network, utilize hashtags to be found by more users, and interact with your followers with engaging and appealing posts.
Millennials scroll through their feeds quickly; you have to stand out in a crowd.
Tip to keep in mind:
Your audience doesn’t want to feel like they’re talking to your social media department, they want a human experience. Be transparent and honest about your products.
As active social media users, your profiles must attract them. But remember the platform. Instagram will differ from Facebook and Snapchat will differ from Twitter. Create content and posts that add value to users of those platforms.
Every so often, add a call to action or include a promotion to entice users scrolling through their feeds to click through to your website and maybe convert.
Speak to Their Values & Passions
More millennials want to benefit a good cause. If a product costs a little more, but you’re donating some of the proceeds to a cause, you’re more likely to retain a millennial customer. Market to their mindset.
Many people form the opinion that millennials are spoiled, lazy, and expect things to come to them. As the most educated class in the world, they spend more time discussing and learning new things about new products and old companies. Speak to their minds.
Most millennials care about social issues and authenticity from brands. We have to market to that end. Plan a strategy, tell a story, speak to a certain narrative. That’s the best way to reach your millennial customers.
They think critically. They want facts, and they understand you’re marketing. If you offer value, they don’t care. They’ll buy. Just make sure to speak to their values and passions.
Utilize Video to Reach a Broader Audience
Millennials spend a ton of time watching videos online. They seek information to learn and to grow. That doesn’t mean you can’t promote.
We’re surrounded by ads every day and every minute of our lives. Creating an engaging promotional video, as well as tutorials and educational videos in your strategy, will help to provide the content needed to help your customers make a decision.
The goal is to entice a conversation in your community and create videos to inspire them to share your videos to their network. Short and engaging videos are the most likely to land with your millennial audience considering the popularity of Snapchat and Instagram stories.
Show your audience how your products are used. Almost one-third of millennials will base their buying decision on a product or service video they have watched.
Promote User-Generated Content
Millennials are on Twitter and love to publicly display their opinions and viewpoints. They spend hours each day consuming content that is originally generated by brands. They trust what you’re putting out, and they research more about your brand to make an educated decision.
What is considered user-generated content that can be used to attract millennials?
- Blogs or Forums & Posts
- Twitter Chats or Tweets
- Digital Images & Audio
- Video & Advertisements
Most of these user-generated content marketing initiatives are made available on social media. It’s a way to show you’re an authority in your industry and the products you produce or services you provide.
Get involved and show your voice. There’s nothing more important to millennials than brands that show that they care and they understand their customers. Make sure your content gets your message across the way you want, and be sincere.
Continue telling the story and attract a new audience of millennials.
Reward Millennials With Prizes or Contests
As I’ve said before, millennials are conscientious about their budget. They’ll stay committed to your products or your services if they feel valued as a customer.
Offer them unique ways to interact with your brand, from contests to participate in to prizes to win with a simple Tweet or Like. You can be creative with this and what you’re offering.
Reward with cash, early access to new products, branded swag, or company credit to make an additional purchase. It’s a way to pique their interest and get them to stay active with the content you’re producing.
The more interaction and activities or quizzes you provide to reward your customers with a prize or free swag, the more loyal your customers will be.
It’s a way to engage your audience.
The Value of Marketing to Millennials
Millennials are your customer base. They are making the purchase decisions and doing the research between you and companies like yours.
To market to this demographic, think beyond traditional advertising. Get creative with your web presence and your marketing material. Become humanized.
It’s a mobile, digital generation. They’re looking for brands that understand their passions and produce content that appeals to their interests. As a small business or e-commerce brand, you have to make sure you’re using your creativity to attract millennials. They’re the next generation with purchasing behavior and the one that can take your business to the next level when you market to them correctly.
