For anyone older than millennials, I have some bad news. This group born between 1981 and 1996 are no longer “kids”; they begin turning 40 this year, and they continue to gain more buying power.
There are a few key points to remember when you are marketing to millennials.
- When marketing to millennials, keep in mind that the generation is not only tech-savvy but also educated.
- Millennials now hold the greatest spending power ever, more than Gen X and the Baby Boomers before them.
- Most important is a focus on:
- The creation of an authentic brand
- A strong social media strategy
- An easy-to-use website
- Great customer service
Let’s go into these important points a bit more…..
Authentic Branding
Invest in understanding your Millennials first; knowing them is key. They love to give their opinions, and you should use this opportunity to listen, which should be an ongoing activity, not a one-time thing. Be transparent and meet them where they are, Millennials know what is real and what is fake, and they both want and respond to authenticity; therefore, you must establish sincere relationships with their influencers. Millennials will lash back at the inauthentic. Commit to authentic sampling to build passion and trust, Millennials spend up to 25 hours a week online and will do marketing through their posts and tweets for you; if they love your brand. Make diversity a regular part of your brand and offering. Don’t sell products, sell your purpose and make it experiential. IF you can combine purpose with an opportunity for making a change, Millennials will respond.
Strong Social Media Strategy
Start the conversation of your brand through social channels. You must make sure your product is Instagram-worthy; this is how Millenials spread the word. Optimize marketing content for social media, Twitter, and Instagram are the foundation. Make your audience be your star taking pictures and sharing their experience. This will also push the appeal of FOMO (fear of missing out) with experiences, then play to their frugality with coupons and promotions via social media.
Website
Your website is often Millennials’ initial contact with your company. Make your campaigns adaptable and figure out how they use your site. Find alternatives to traditional ads that will bring them to you and provide an interactive experience that will entertain and be post-worthy. Your website is your base, but you also need to be relevant and engaging across all platforms. Millennials are educated, and they want to find a wealth of information easily, so provide it with your site.
Customer Service
Understand that your reviews matter, and they are looking at reviews before buying on all sites, so monitor (Yelp, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Walmart, Etsy, Wish, etc.) these and reply promptly. When you are successful, they will also talk about it, which means you must focus on word of mouth. Meet them in person if you can; this will allow you to know them better and appeal to their values.
Summary
Millennials are not hard to understand; they are telling us what they want and how they want to be marketed to. Just listen, be authentic, and engage with them, and you can be successful.