While some may refer to them as broke college grads, Instagram famous 20-somethings, or the ones who normalized tattoos in the workplace, others might simply call them “millennials.” They are young with money ready to spend, whether it be from parents or their new jobs, and they are definitely the ones you want to target with your next marketing campaign.
Nobody:
Me: “OMG, can you
believe what they posted on Facebook today?!”
Nobody:
Me: “Don’t worry, I
already sent you a link.“
While some may refer to them as broke college grads, Instagram famous 20-somethings, or the ones who normalized tattoos in the workplace, others might simply call them “millennials.” Also known as GenerationY, the most agreed upon age group of millennials are those who were born between 1981-1996. They were the first generation who grew up with the world at their fingertips, thanks to the internet. The familiarity they have with media makes them not only proficient in their respective jobs, but in their personal lives as well. They are young with money ready to spend, whether it be from parents or their new jobs, and they are definitely the ones you want to target with your next marketing campaign.
With a current 80 million millennials in the US, it is important to know how to build a lasting relationship and effectively market to these individuals. Keep ready for some tips and trick to set your next marketing campaign away from the rest!
Brainstorm
Reaching millennials requires strategy. The most effective way to do so would be through the media channels they actually use, and not the ones a brand thinks they use. According to IDG Research Group, 59% of millennials use social media to find information. Marketing in the digital era is easier now, thanks to these media platforms. If done properly, it can generate the perfect amount of brand exposure. By using strategies such as sponsored posts, the millennial audience will see your brand as they sip their morning coffee and scroll trough their Facebook feed.
Be Authentic
Millennials crave content-driven media. Brands can no longer spew out general advertisements in masses. Just like everyone else, millennials want their voices to be heard. Since this generation came of age right when the internet became big, they are pretty quick to tell when they are being sold to and can call out when something is BS. This is why authenticity is crucial to the success of your brand. To ensure that your brand stays transparent you should be giving your audience instant responses, otherwise they will lose interest within seconds.
“The content, the message, the videos–they have to be real. If it looks like an ad, it will be skipped over faster than a Tinder profile without a photo,” Michael Malinksy, Co-Founder of high-tech beauty products company WUNDER2, shares.
And when you think about it, he has a point. If a post is not authentic enough to people, they’ll swipe right over it without a second thought. Millennials want to purchase products and services from brands that speak to their values. Keep this in mind when releasing your brand’s advertisements and it should be smooth sailing from there.
Social. Social. Social.
Social media is your best friend. Focus your marketing strategies on reaching millennials via social media platforms to create a personalized relationship with consumers and maintain relevance throughtout the marketing strategy. With the age group of millennials ranging from 22-37 years old, your best bet is to market via Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. On average, millennials are spending around 25 hours per week online. By analyzing the best times to post, you’ll be sure to catch the eye of the millennial generation in no time.
Another strategy to implement on social media is simply encouraging audience participation. By having your audience share their own photos through a contest with a hashtag entry, you can make users feel like they are apart of something. With consistent contests your audience will be keeping their eye out for the next entry, therefore increasing your following and ensuring they are staying up to date with your posts. Doing this also can establish a relationship between you and the consumers. Not only would this add a personal touch to the product itself, but it would also add to your brand as a whole.
Get Creative
Most millennials shoppers research before buying. To really market to millennials, brands need to do their homework the same way that millennials do.
Engaging content = a big win. As a brand, you need to ensure that you are getting creative with your advertisements. A great way to go about creating the perfect millennial advertisement is to appeal to FOMO AKA fear of missing out. More times than not, millennials will catch themselves with a severe case of FOMO. Capitalize on this by offering them something that is so unique in your advertisements that there would be no way a millennial could turn it down. Additional things to keep in mind relate to diversity and authenticity within a brand. Potential cusomters don’t want to see the same advertisements time and time again on their feed, instead they search for new ones that are cutting edge and captivating.
Keeping content short and simple, but intriguing at the same time, will allow your brand to capture those who live a busy lifestyle. Making visual connections with your product will keep individuals interested to see what else you have to say or offer. Let’s be real here, millennials would much rather watch a high-quality tutorial video than to read step-by-step text instructions.
Influencers
A huge part of social media marketing nowadays is the notion of having a brand influencer. Using them for influencer marketing campaigns will generate buzz for your brand by giving millenials someone they can relate to. An influencer can be seen as more of a trusted friend telling you about a product or service, as opposed to a generic advertisement that doesn’t appeal to any of their individual emotions. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to make sure your influencer is the appropriate person for the job so you don’t lose any brand credibility.
Millennials are a demographic that every brand wants to charm. They are tricky to market to, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. They have a lot to offer the market and it all starts with grabbing their valued attention. By following these tips, your brand can increase it’s chances of getting the millenial generation into your marketplace.
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