Marketing To Millennials

Millennials. It’s a common term that oftentimes seems to make people bristle, whether they can relate to it or not. We’ve all heard the stereotypes—the flaky, self-involved kid who is glued to his phone—but, given the sheer size of this generation, it’s time to look beyond the labels and get to know this segment of our population better.

What is a millennial, anyway? Depending on the definition (and there are many), millennials (also known by some as Gen Y) are the demographic that follows Generation X. Born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, by most standards, this is the most diverse, educated, civically engaged and open-minded generation our country has seen yet. While they are saddled with sky-high student debt and were the most affected by the Great Recession, this is a generation of great optimism and determination.

As millennials creep toward their prime spending years, they have the power to fundamentally shape the landscape of our country’s economy, and if they don’t currently represent the majority of your business’ demographic, they certainly will in the years to come. Here are four pieces of wisdom to help fine tune your company’s marketing toward this generation’s needs.

Millennials Aren’t All Kids
Millennials born in the early- to late-80s will remember a time before the Internet. This end of the generation will have a slightly different view on life than the millennial born in the mid- to late-90s who never knew a world without the Internet or a cell phone. What many marketers ignore is that the upper end of this age group is now solidly in its thirties, settling down and starting families. That’s a huge difference from the twenty-something still attempting to launch out of the nest. Don’t assume that one single message will automatically resound with all millennials.

Connectivity With Sensitivity
The importance that social networks play in millennials’ lives will come as no surprise. What might surprise you, however, is that millennials value their privacy more than you think. Despite their comfort with putting their lives on display on social media, they do not want brands invading this space.

So how do you leverage social media without crossing the line? Have a well-developed social platform strategy that doesn’t invade the millennial user’s digital space too much. Hyper-target ads so you can be sure you’re delivering relevant content to users who will care. Trust millennials are sharing content related to your brand when it’s relevant to them, and be prepared to jump in and engage with them on their timeline, not yours.

In Pursuit of Authenticity
Millennials, more than any other generation, are known to desire meaningful work. They are less likely to be swayed by high-dollar paychecks if it means they have to sacrifice passion for their job. This ethos is reflected in the businesses started by members of this generation. Young entrepreneurs are rethinking how companies can be a source of positive change in the world.

In keeping with this philosophy, millennials are innately receptive to brands with a similar outlook on the world. What does it take to win that kind of loyalty and engagement from them? Millennials are particularly wary of feeling sold to. They look to their peers for opinions more than any other generation and will quickly see through brand communication that feels contrived. So make sure that your brand is authentic; don’t try to be what you’re not. Stay true to your voice and trust that your target wants to hear what you have to say as long as it doesn’t feel overly “sale-sy.” Think storytelling rather than selling.

On The Go
The “mobile tipping point” is now solidly in our rearview mirror. This means the majority of web traffic is accessed via mobile devices, and this is exactly how you should expect millennials are accessing your website, particularly if you are selling a consumer-packaged good or have a physical location open to the public. You cannot afford to neglect the way these users experience your brand, whether it’s on your website, in an app or elsewhere on the web.

If your website is not yet mobile responsive—automatically resizing to provide an optimal viewing experience at any screen size—you are already behind. If your site is mobile responsive, great, but what’s next? Make sure you’re optimizing content so mobile users are being served information that the person on the go is looking for (for example, your location and hours rather than your blog). Ensure that image sizes are compressed to facilitate faster mobile load times. Make sure that above the fold content gets its message across in one second or less. And if that is all set, move on to your mobile advertising strategy to make sure you’re appropriately reaching millennial users without being invasive.

Above all, don’t underestimate the increasing power that millennials have over the future of your company’s success.

Mariah Keith Morgan is the principal and founder of Stout Heart, a marketing agency in Portsmouth. To learn more, visit stoutheart.com or email hello@stoutheart.com.