Marketing to Millennials: 8 Standout Strategies

Every brand wants to charm the Millennials. It's no wonder why: They’re the largest living generation today. People born between the 1980s and mid-1990s are today’s most potent buying force, coming in at more than 75.4 million people. Brands are giving their best to reach Millennials and appeal to their specific and evolving needs effectively. However, Millennials don’t respond to traditional marketing tactics. How can you better pique their interest, then? Here are eight pro tips for marketing to millennials.

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Appeal to Their Values

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Brands who manage to appeal to values of the Millennial audience significantly increase their chances to win them over. Their buying habits tend to prioritize social identity and memorable experiences. They embrace and align with brands with a clear purpose of making a difference and doing good in the world. If you’re somehow giving back to the community, Millennials are likely to use their buying power to support your values. It's the reason why the generation loves eco-friendly, environmentally-conscious brands.

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Inspire Their Creativity With User-Generated Content

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In order to market to millennials you need to know what do millennials care about? Millennials like when they are recognized by their favorite brand as well as when they get a chance to contribute. They like seeing themselves in the same media they consume. Thus, you should focus on user-generated content (UGC) to help tell your brand story. Create a branded hashtag and prompt them to use it when posting content related to your brand. That will allow you to discover their content and use it in your promotion across different channels. Your brand message will go far when your consumers can relate to the material authentically. Recognize them and allow them to add to the conversation and story.

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That way, you’ll manage to reach Millennials, grab their attention, and even learn a thing or two from them. Pay attention to how they post and talk about your brand. What's the setting? The atmosphere? The ambiance? What words do they use? You can gain a lot from really analyzing UGC. Also, something would be amiss if we didn't point out this one important fact: UGC is essentially free marketing. There's something all brands can get onboard with.

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Listen — No, *Really* Listen to Every Single Word

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To elaborate on a point we already made – a really important point — listen to your Millennial crowd. Listen very carefully. This is worth discussing more, because it's so insanely valuable. Before the digital age, marketers had to send out surveys to learn what their consumers think. Today, Millennials love to share their opinions and speak about what they like or hate. All you have to do is listen and gather the information. This technique is called "social listening," and it allows you to discover if they buy specific products and why they buy them. You can use those insights to push out products or services that represent them. Ask them if the products can improve in any way, how they want you to communicate with them, and where your next event should be. Listen to your customers and drive your decision-making to align with their social identity and needs. That will make them feel like they’ve contributed to something bigger.

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Respond Instantly

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The images, the videos, the content, and the message – everything needs to be transparent and authentic. In other words, it must be real. Otherwise, Millennials will notice how pushy and salesy you are in creating content that only aims to seduce and sell to them. It won’t take them much to skip it or mark your offers as irrelevant. And to know what kind of content and message resonates with them, you need to find out yourself. There is no universal formula.. Your Millennial customers will frequently reach out to you and ask questions. Whether it’s on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter – they will expect you to respond instantly (or within 24 hours). With a big enough team of people or a unified social inbox (we can help with that!), you’ll ensure that your audience always gets their answers.

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Remember, one of the reasons Millennials (and everyone else) are so hooked on social media is because it provides instant gratification. If you don't align your responses to your followers in that manner, you're going to lose them.

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Sell Your Purpose (Not Your Products)

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Unlike their parents, who largely only want to know the benefits of a product, Millennials want more. What's your brand’s purpose? What kind of change are you bringing forth? Deliver the solutions but lead with your mission. Add a charitable element to your brand, because it can’t be a side conversation anymore.

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Optimize for Social Media

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When it comes to the Millennial generation, social media is of utmost importance. To reach Millennials, use and optimize social channels, because they drive the most traffic back to brands. Aim to create captivating images and attractive social media videos that capture their attention in the first 10 seconds, if not sooner. Add captions, and keep it brief, concise, and on point. Don't forget about hashtags, which are crucial especially on Instagram and help Millennials find you. Keep in mind humans are visual creatures. Appeal to the sense of sight, and you're on the right path.

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Be Authentic and Transparent

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Millennials are tech-savvy and can access any information they need in seconds. They are also continually bombard them with various marketing messages. Thus, it is vital to meet them where they are and cut through the noise. Transparency is crucial, so be honest and real when trying to market to your Millennial consumers.

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Get Help from Influencers

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Millennials' purchasing decisions are much affected by their peers as well as influencers. When marketing to this group, you should prioritize influencer marketing campaigns. Namely, Millennials prefer the personal and raw nature of social channels that their favorite influencers use. Plus, influencers' content seems more authentic and genuine to them. If you get an influencer to promote your brand, the audience won’t feel like they're seeing an ad. If done the right way, it will seem more like a friend recommending a product or service. When choosing an influencer for your brand, you should select one from your niche. Also, he or she needs to have a tone (or voice) that’s appropriate for your brand. Otherwise, the promotion will feel forced, and both you and your influencer risk losing online credibility. Utilize these eight tips for marketing to Millennials and you'll be able to better tap into their major purchasing power!