How To Market To Millennials

One of the most lucrative demographics for businesses to market to is millennials, a generation made up of people born from about 1981 to 1996. Millennials (otherwise known as Gen Y) have aged alongside technology, making them extremely tech-savvy. 9 out of 10 people in Generation Y own smartphones and almost 100% use the internet, making them vital to the success of digital marketing campaigns. While they may be an important group to market to, a social media agency may struggle to identify the best way to grab and hold on to their attention. At Bright Age, our research and experience strives to connect businesses with the millennial market.

So what are the best practices when it comes to social media marketing to millennials? This generation is flipping the script on traditional methods of consuming, which means advertising also has to grow and change. The trend for millennial spending habits is leaning towards experiences, compared to the material items of past generations. They have created a new set of priorities and values for themselves, which calls for a new kind of advertising. These are some things to think about when marketing to millennials.

Multi-Platform Accessibility

One thing that’s important to understand is the millennial desire to be able view media across different devices and platforms in a streamlined manner. As more and more technology becomes readily accessible, more people are bringing smartphones, computers, and tablets into their daily life. 55% of millennials watch videos on multiple devices everyday. 72% want to be able to read and watch the news on each of their devices. Generation Y is consuming the same content in varying ways, so marketing campaigns should cover multiple platforms to establish a connection and start a conversation.

Interacting with Brands

Millennials have a different style of connecting to brands than prior generations. They prefer to watch content created with their interests in mind rather than receiving a hard sales pitch. Millennials look for authenticity in the brands they interact with, meaning they don’t want to be “sold” to. Organic social media interactions with a business are much more likely to end not only in purchases, but also with your content being shared with others, giving opportunity for your brand to grow. This generation often enjoys the experience of shopping rather than just the product, so branded content should reflect that. The branded content that works the best for millennials should be brief, entertaining, and funny while also being informative or educational. It’s okay to be a bit more casual, millennials value feeling like they’re interacting with a person instead of a marketing machine.

Making Positive Impacts

Another way to foster a relationship between your brand and millennials is to reflect their values. They want businesses to have a positive impact on society, not just offer a good product or service. Some of the things that are most important to Gen Y is for a business to create jobs, promote profit generation, and to be innovative. Millennials also value brands that are socially and environmentally conscious. 50% of millennials are more likely to buy a product if their purchase supports a cause they believe in. This consciousness helps to emphasize the sense of authenticity the demographic looks for when interacting with brands. Millennials are much more likely to support and share your business when they feel a positive impact is being made.

Working with a Social Media Agency

It can be challenging to market to a demographic with trends, interests, and values that have evolved so much from previous generations. It’s important to work with a social media agency to ensure your content is reaching your audience. At Bright Age, we’re passionate and skilled when it comes to growing your brand and staying up to date on the latest social media trends, as well as helping you market to key demographics like the millennial generation.