Tapping into the Millennial Generation:  6 + 1 Sure-Fire Ways to Grab their Attention

  • Content
  • Marketing
  • Social Media

Written by: Zoe Christodoulides

Tech savvy, information hungry, well-educated and ambitious, they love to spend money online, don’t have much trust for traditional advertising, are often swayed by their peers and online ‘influencers’ and are rather impatient, seeking instant gratification. Say hello to today’s millennials! While the millennial age bracket is not set in stone, today’s 18-34 year old’s are seriously encouraging companies to re-evaluate the way they do business. After all, they have grown up in fast changing times and witnessed a huge boom in digital technology. They live in an era where mobiles phones and tablets reign supreme, where hardly a minute goes by without being connected to the online world, where networking takes place via a screen and sharing experiences across social media channels has become commonplace. And yes, what they are demanding is notably different from generations past. But how to target millennials in your marketing campaign? Action Digital outlines some key points to consider when trying to reach out to them successfully!

 

  1. Wave goodbye to tradition Millennials are serious sceptics. And they are not easily swayed by traditional advertising. Instead, be creative with your content marketing and make sure you find innovative ways to entertain your target readership. If they find your brand interesting and worth following on social media, then there’s a big chance that those conversions will come soon enough!
  2. It’s all about mobile With millennials glued to mobile technology these days, you’ve got to ensure that your site is more than just mobile friendly and fully responsive; it has got to load really quickly, while ads, competitions and all CTAs should be specifically targeted to mobile users. Mobile marketing is absolutely key, hooking in millennials with location sensitive personalised information that promotes your product or service in the most alluring way possible.
  3. Get very social! Exceptionally involved on social media – especially Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat – you need to make your company’s voice heard, loud and clear, across these platforms. Create a targeted social media campaign especially for millennials – be cool, be innovative, be different, be creative. The more you stay ahead of the game when it comes to trends, the more millennials will want to follow and actively engage with your brand.
  4. Let them hear someone else’s story Millennials love user generated content. They really care what other people think and are heavily influenced by their peers. Remember, this is the generation that will check out a new restaurant because they’ve seen a friend’s check-in, they won’t go or do something new without looking at ratings (the huge popularity of TripAdvisor is just one example), and they’ll go to a new shop just because someone they admire shared a picture from the place on Instagram. Fact is, they’ll trust a friend, family member or influencer in their community far more than what corporations tell them. Get an ‘average Jo’ on board to review your products online and share the content across your social media channels, add in a well-known blogger in the mix and get hold of any ‘authority’ or influencer in your industry to include your brand or review your service via their social media channels.
  5. Offer them fast solutions Millennials know how to search for something quickly online. So quickly, in fact, that they expect the answers that they are looking for to be given to them at the click of a finger. So how does this affect your business? Put simply, you need to constantly be giving them the information they need. Keep them updated, offer them solutions and be creative. Share blogs at least once a week across your social media that your target audience will find intriguing – if you have a clothes shop, keep them up to date with the latest fashion trends, if you run a vegan take out, publish articles on the latest super-foods, if you’re a travel company, give them incentives to jet off across the world to quirky destinations with inspirational posts…. you get the picture!
  6. Be socially responsible Most millennials today care about where and how the product they are purchasing is made, far more than generations past. Green living is a big deal, ethical brands automatically score brownie points and companies that give back to society leave a more lasting impression than those that don’t. Rather than taking consumer trust for granted, you must work hard to earn respect. Take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and be sure to let your followers know about activities that involve giving back to the community, helping the environment and more.
  7. Don’t forget about incentives So, you’ve captured the attention of millennials through social media, just add some incentives into the mix, and you should be well on your way to success. Coupons are a great way to encourage them to make a purchase or buy into a service that you offer, and you can also generate talk about your brand through online competitions where a given post needs to be shared on their social media in order to enter. Strategies such as these will not only start up conversation about your brand online, but also, encourage sales leads. Also, introduce a loyalty program – monetary discounts in return for brand loyalty make a huge difference for millennials!

 

For H&M, Action Digital created one of the most highly anticipated opening days in the history of the island, reaching out to millennials with a hugely successful launch. From people who speak their language, Action Digital will make sure you tap into the right audience with your millennial campaign while keeping your costs low and your conversions high. Contact us to request a proposal.

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