Millennials are the group that were born as early as 1977 to as late as 2000 and are just starting to enter the workforce. The members of this particular group are 75 million strong and are being raised at a time when everyone is so focused on children- and the impact on businesses is obvious. Overall, it has been proven that millennials have lots of confidence. This could be due- at least in part- to the focus they received from their parents when they were growing up and the high level of expectations that have been placed on them. In addition, they found independence with the invention of cell phones, internet, and a variety of other electronic forms of communication. Millennials are definitely the very first generation that has grown up entirely online. Therefore, when it comes to reaching them, the marketing mix that is used has got to start evolving. Just as you would probably expect, this group is the most technologically literate of all.
Millennials and Socialization
When it comes to socialization, this group is also quite different. They are very team-oriented and would prefer to band together to socialize and date instead of pairing off with each other. They tend to work quite well in groups, which they would prefer doing instead of working individually. This group is also quite well when it comes to multi-tasking and are the ones that will typically study or work while also listening to the radio or watching TV. This gives marketers all the more reason to make sure that you are using all possible forms of media marketing available and make sure that your message stays consistent on all levels.
Millennials and Academics
As far as academics go, this is the group that really got into playing sports, going to school, and also enjoying social activities. They believe that it is necessary to “go green” and are most likely to be supportive of anything that is good for the environment.
Millennials and Work
When thinking about work, this group expects there to be structure. They are willing to acknowledge and respect various titles and positions and would like to have a relationship with their boss. Millennials are in need of mentoring and will respond quite well to personal attention. If you are managing this group, you must understand that they prefer structure and stability. Any mentoring of millennials should be formal, with an authoritative mentor and set meetings.
Marketing and Appealing to Millennials
Now that you have a bit of an understanding about the target market you are trying to appeal to, you must think more about where they tend to go for information and how they act. The truth is that this group tends to log into their social media accounts several times each day. They are sending messages to their friends and uploading videos- are you there too?
Listen to Them
First of all, in order to reach this group, you must be listening to their conversations. This is where most of the businesses these days fail- they are not paying attention to the conversations that this group is having about their company and their products/services. You can sign up for Google Alerts and find out what people are mostly blogging about.
Create Social Media Accounts
In order to reach this group, you have got to get your name out there. You must make sure that you have a presence on social media. However, you must also keep in mind that you can’t always be marketing- you want to avoid being too commercial. Millennials can see right through you when you do that. Instead, you want to be natural and help them to understand what your company is about and exactly what it is that you stand for.
Communicate on a More Personal Level
Instead of just speaking to your audience- you also want to give them a chance to speak to you. Create a two-way conversation. This can be through allowing them the opportunity to rate your products/services, share comments, and even share their experiences with your company with others. You must give them a forum where they can socialize.
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Make Sure That Your Message is Consistent
No matter how you are marketing to your audience, your message must always remain consistent. You want to avoid saying one thing and doing something entirely different or changing your message on a regular basis. If you do this, you are definitely not going to be able to build the trust that you need to ensure that you have lifetime customers.
Always be Creative
Marketing that is creative is much more likely to gain momentum quickly. By using platforms such as YouTube, Delicious, and Flickr, you can be sure that your message will be shared and distributed quickly. However, you should never force an issue. Instead, create something that is fun and meaningful- which will make it worth sharing. Then, before you even realize it, millennials are going to be sharing information about your company and your products/services.
Make Sure You are Techno-Centered
As mentioned earlier, you must keep in mind that this group is the first one to grow up completely immersed in the internet and other related technologies. They are constantly checking their smartphones- and most of them have multiple digital devices. Therefore, you must make sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. After all, this may be the first time they learn about your company. In addition, if you want them to be making an online purchase, you must make sure that the process is quick, easy, and efficient.
Make Sure to Offer Access-over-Ownership
Since this group has been through two of the greatest downturns of the economy in the history of the nation: September 11, 2001 and the Market Crash of 2008, over half of this population seems to find that paying bills online is a challenging task. Therefore, they tend to be a bit more frugal and will choose access instead of ownership. This means that instead of buying movies and music, they are more likely to choose subscription companies that allow them to access music, movies, and more for free- or at least a discount. Therefore, you can make their lives so much easier by offering them less expensive options for access, such as an app.
Allow Them to Express Themselves
One important thing you must keep in mind is that this group of individuals believes in self-expression. If they like your brand, you must realize that their friends/followers are going to know about it. Therefore, you can help them make choices that will be beneficial for your own business by offering informative and creative content that they will share across all of their social media outlets.
Don’t Just Inform, but Involve Them
This group enjoys engagement, so you shouldn’t simply market to them. You must inform them and make sure to get them involved as much as you can. For example, if you have a company that sells personal hair color products, you might want to consider a contest for those that use your products to post their pictures and tips. In addition, as mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to create a forum where your consumers can chat with others and share their thoughts and opinions.
Make Sure that You Have a Good Cause
While it’s true that this group has gone through the two greatest economic downturns in history, they are still quite idealistic. Therefore, marketing that is related to a good cause is more likely to catch their attention. If they feel like they would be making a big difference in the community, they will be more likely to use your company’s goods/services. Therefore, you must somehow connect your company to a community or even global cause to appeal to this group.
Final Thoughts
One of the things you must understand is that it’s definitely not going to be an easy task to market to millennials. In order to make sure you are successful, you must understand that they are very dependent on socializing and hold the opinions of others in high regard. While most of the marketing to this group must be centered online, you shouldn’t let go of the traditional media such as direct mail. Just because marketing has evolved, traditional marketing can also be quite effective, as long as they are used in conjunction with one another.
