Marketing Strategies For Millennials
A Comprehensive Guide to Marketing Strategies for Millennials
Discovering the right marketing strategies to engage with Millennials can be quite the challenge.
As trendsetters themselves, they have a keen eye for authenticity and a nose for disingenuous attempts to sell to them.
But fear not, as we have curated a comprehensive guide to help you appeal to this tech-savvy generation.
Millennials have been pioneers in driving progress in technology and have introduced innovative content to the digital space.
Therefore, they have become experts in marketing tactics and can detect insincerity a mile away.
However, we have compiled five foolproof marketing strategies to help you create brand awareness among Millennials.
Firstly, make use of influencers and brand ambassadors.
Millennials are captivated by those who exude a captivating presence, so choose an influencer or brand ambassador who your target audience can relate to.
Not only will this help spread the word about your product or service, but it will also make it more appealing to them.
Secondly, leverage the power of social media platforms.
Millennials love to stay connected, so it is crucial to be active on all major social media platforms.
Engage with your audience by conducting polls or Q&As, posting behind-the-scenes content, hosting giveaways, and more.
Thirdly, keep your content innovative.
Millennials are drawn to unique content that stands out. Try creating unique visuals, animation, viral videos, and interactive experiences that can capture the attention of your audience.
Fourthly, use storytelling to engage with Millennials.
Millennials love a great story, so weave your product or service into an intriguing narrative to keep them hooked.
Finally, leverage the power of user-generated content.
Millennials crave participation in the creative process, so invite them to share their original content on your website or social media platforms. This strategy not only engages your audience but also fosters trust by demonstrating your openness to and appreciation for their contributions.
Incorporating these marketing tactics will prime you for success in appealing to the Millennial demographic.
If you're looking for guidance on your marketing and branding efforts, book your complimentary 15-minute strategy session with us today. As a startup branding agency, we're eager to assist you in crafting a distinctive and impactful message that will captivate your target market.
A Millennial Profile
We’ve gone over marketing strategies for Gen Z in the previous blog post, but this one is dedicated to the older sibling, the Millennial generation.
Millennials, who are they?
Here is a brief profile of who they are:
Born between 1981 and 1996
In 2021, the age range is from 25 to 40
Some even count millennials as people born between 1980 and 2000 which makes them 21-41 in 2021
1 in 3 people is currently a millennial
More millennials are attending college than any previous generation.
40% of millennial workers aged 25 to 29 had a bachelor's degree in 2016 compared to previous generations
They are tech-savvy
Millennials are also called “digital natives” because they came of age during the 21st century–the new millennium. They were born into the start and rise of the digital world.
Digital media is their language.
As we look into these tips, know that Marketing strategies for millennials have to be different. It has to be authentic. These strategies have to be curated and targeted towards millennials for them to have any impact on your brand marketing and brand development.
So, what are some marketing strategies for millennials?
Let's look further.
Valuable Social Efforts
We’ve highlighted that Millennials have been here since the start of online marketing because they existed at the start of it.
They drove the digital world to where it is today.
They’ve seen the rise and the different iterations of social media platforms. And, they were there when Instagram was first introduced. From Tumblr days (or even Nexopia and MySpace) to Youtube and so much more online platforms–they have seen it all.
So it’s no shock if outdated marketing strategies don’t work on them.
Marketing Strategies For Millennials:
Millennials will support your business if your business stands for something.
Take a look at Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company. Known for their efforts in saving the planet through their eco-initiatives and movements, Patagonia has driven a brand image that communicates something more than what they sell.
They don’t just sell outdoor clothing and gear. Patagonia invites you to be part of a movement.
1% of their sales, they call Earth tax, provides support to nonprofits that have a mission towards the protection of our air, land and water. Since 1985, they’ve given more than $100 million to organizations that work on issues in the areas of land, water, climate, communities, and biodiversity.
These environmental pledges speak to millennials because they want to change the world.
Millennials are environmentally and socially driven. Your brand plan and marketing strategies for millennials should stand for something. It’s with your vision and mission that they will dig deeper into who you are as a business.
This strategy to have your business stand for something gives millennials a sense of purpose for choosing your company.
It’s how you create trust with them.
Social Media Impact
It’s no question that millennials use devices.
Businesses have to be where their target audience is. More than 9 out of 10 millennials have smartphones.
84% of people who are 18 to 29 are on social media platforms, and on average, people spend 2.5 hours on social networks.
Social media is a powerhouse in implementing brand awareness through PR campaigns, user-generated content or simply by creating impactful marketing strategies.
More Marketing Strategies For Millennials:
Invest your time in social media strategies
Since it is a daily habit for Millenials to be on their phone, it’s important to invest in social media strategies. They are there present online to consume content or create content for themselves.
It is a great place to show signs of life of who you are as a business.
A lot of millennials today will gravitate to your brand if an influencer they follow or a family, or a friend recommends your business to them. To get that influence, you have to be online and implement social media marketing strategies.
People today are finding new products and services through social media, too. Prior to millennials being aware of your business, be sure to have your platforms be optimized and branded. You want to create trust and build a reputation online.
Once you create that reputation online and build an authentic following, don’t shy away from asking for reviews. That’s another tip to consider.
These reviews will help prove your business’s value and worth. Millennials will see that and will consider it during the buying and research process.
A client example we have that we helped create a social media content strategy for is Doveras, a fertility studio.
They are on a few different social platforms. Here is their Instagram page. Their page has a strong brand identity. You can tell that their brand personality communicates a safe space through their imagery.
Millennials gravitate towards this.
A company that implements social media strategies is a company that cares.
Focus On Inbound Marketing
Create tailor-made strategies to target Millennials.
TV, radio, print ads, direct mail campaigns are forms of outbound marketing. Millennials don’t gravitate towards that. It’s best to focus on inbound marketing.
Your business won’t benefit from outbound marketing since most Millenials find this tactic impersonal and don’t fit them. It’s interruption marketing.
Marketing Strategies For Millennials: Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing focuses on providing a choice for the audience, and it shows to improve their lives with content that is relevant and valuable. Instead of different forms of advertisement, pivot your business to create a community through blog posts, videos, how-to posts and opt-in email lists.
Take a look at our client: Look Optometry. We have helped them implement inbound marketing strategies from blogging, SEO & PPC to video content. For a more in-depth look, you can look over our blog post that further discusses inbound marketing strategies.
Millennials will appreciate and gravitate towards helpful guidance, and you’ll earn their trust and loyalty if you keep providing ways to improve their lives.
Millennials will do their research on online posts, blogs, forums and from their family and friends. The point is they want to feel involved and feel like they can make their own online choice through valuable, informative and authentic content.
User-generated Content
Marketing Strategies For Millennials: User-generated content
Building authentic, valuable and informative content takes investing time into research and understanding your target audience, the Millennial generation.
Here are some quick facts:
90% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support.
79% of people say User-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.
Only 1% of Millennials say a compelling advertisement would make them trust a brand more.
Millennials (ages 25 and above) are the biggest content drivers — contributing over 70% of all UGC.
Ads with UGC generate 5x greater click-through rates.
Millennials believe that UGC is 35% more memorable than other media.
The big takeaway is that Millenials are professional creators and consumers.
With that in mind, Millenials know these strategies. Brands have to create ways to generate content that is targeted towards them and not just post about new products or services.
Building connection through user-generated content that creates interaction and engagement is important to them.
Customer-centred content is the best way to create trust and authenticity with Millennials. Note that they also like to share their purchasing journey. From the decision, purchase to the use of the product or service.
User-generated content not only helps your brand create brand awareness, but you’ll also reach people outside of the community and possibly turn them into loyal customers.
Be Open To Collaboration
Make collaboration part of your marketing strategies for millennials.
Marketing Strategies For Millennials: Collaborate
Brands and businesses that create a way for Millennials to be part of their business decision are more likely to be more successful.
Millennials want to be involved and when they’re able to co-create, it’s a win-win for everyone. This also builds relationships with consumers.
For businesses, it builds trust, community, brand awareness and adds to their brand story and brand positioning.
Collaboration with Millennials is ideal. They are also content creators in their own right.
With collaboration, they’re able to have some control and have a say. They also practice individuality and self-expression, this establishes their own personal brand thus forming trust with your business.
Collaborating was first done by Millennials in the digital space. If we take a look at Youtube videos with influencers, we see collaboration in that space.
It offers a cross-promotion, and it exposes you to a new set audience that might not have known about your business.
We also see a lot of bigger companies like Starbucks involving their customers with challenges like the red cup art challenge. It's where customers use their cups as a canvas. Starbucks has challenged all their customers to create a unique design and share it on their social platforms with the hashtag #RedCupArt.
Starbucks then will gather its favourites and share them with the world to proudly display their customer's creativity.
This offered customers a chance to be creative, collaborate and share their design talents.
The personalization and co-creation with customers create a sense of community and belonging. Incentives and challenges like that connect millennials.
A Millennial World
Millennials have driven progress in the digital world since the start.
It makes sense that outdated marketing tactics don’t work, so marketers have to be kept updated as the years go by. These tips will help you get started on generating a millennial audience.
Here is an overview list to sum it all up:
Weaving in a social effort
Invest in Social Media
Focus on Inbound marketing
Create user-generated content
Collaborate and reach out
Remember that Millennials want to support your business, but you have to stand for something and create quality, authentic and valuable content online.
Your chosen methods to market to millennials will be seen by noticed by them. They are, after, all the original online content creators. Approaching your strategies from a user-centric environment will surely win them over.
It’s not easy to market your business to them, but Millennials will pay attention when you put them first.
What are some marketing strategies for millennials that have worked for you and your business? Leave a comment below.
If you need help writing a business plan for your startup, checkout our guide here https://www.brandedagency.com/blog/writing-a-business-plan-guide
Looking for PR Campaign Ideas? Checkout our PR Campaign Idea blog post.
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