Impulse Creative
It seems like everyone and their mom are talking about millennials. Who are these so-called millennials? If you don't know yet, you better educate yourself and quickly! Millennials are defined as people who are currently between of the ages of 21 and 35. They are the first generation to grow up with the internet and technology as a significant part of their lives and by population size, are the largest generation to date. Others may describe millennials as having a unique sense of self and a surprisingly optimistic outlook on life. Chances are you already are, or are going to have to, market to this group of individuals. To help you achieve success practice these 4 ways to market to millennials.
1. Incorporate creativity
There's no doubt about it, millennials know what they like and they are totally immersed in pop culture. That's why it's important for you to embrace creativity. Millennials love websites, blogs, and anything online that they can easily relate to, and easily share with their peers. I know it's hard to resist the urge to follow the straight and narrow and not go out on a limb, but if you need to market to millennials, you'll have to get on their level. This means incorporating trendy shows, songs, or people into your marketing copy or downloadable campaign pieces. However, you'll need to be careful, some slang terms will never sound good no matter how you use them! The "Me and Bae" filter worked for Snapchat, but it doesn't work for Taco Bell. There are plenty of other ways you can relate to millennials, while simultaneously promoting your company culture and staying within their guidelines.
2. Don't try too hard, but be relevant
This goes along with my last point, as any type of young person, we don't like it when people in authority positions try too hard to look "cool." Subtle word use, or relation to a popular TV show is good; forcing a slang word in is bad. The goal is to achieve a hip culture and reputation online through genuine personality, instead of desperate attempts to fit a specific lifestyle. In other words, you want it to seem natural, not forced. Millennials want personalized marketing. Be real, be yourself, but be cool!
3. Make sure you're on their forms of communication
As with all inbound marketing, you'll need to research where millennials hang out online. What are their go-to social networks and how do they digest information? Even if your company believes Twitter, Facebook, or Vine are a waste of time, if millennials are in your audience, you need to spend your time here. Chances are good that millennials are trying to reach your brand through these outlets. It would be silly of you not to take advantage of them. Your business should be posting regularly about your services, products, helpful tips, useful information, and also engaging with customers who need help. Your audience will appreciate your ability to be tech savvy and timely with your customer service and feel fortunate to be heard on these social platforms.
4. Be searchable
Another way to engage with millennials successfully online is to be findable. Make your business's social profiles and website as visible as possible. You want any prospective customer to be able to easily find you. If you spend all this time on creating social networks and marketing copy targeted towards a specific group, you also want to go that extra mile for them to be able to find you. One way you can do this is to include hashtags in your posts. This categorizes important topics and posts. You'll also need to share the same messages across all platforms. For example, if you're offering a new product, make sure to share about it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - just make sure to tweak the messaging on each network. It's also a good idea to optimize all your profiles by making sure all fields are filled out and with the correct information.
Millennials are too big of a group of potential customers not to pay attention to. Take advantage of this crowd, and with all human marketing, relate to them. Remember when it comes to this age group, it's important to be real and relevant, without being cheesy. Consider incorporating these easy ways to successfully market to millennials during your next campaign.
