Millennials make up one of the biggest audiences in today’s market. The exact age range differs according to who you ask, but for this post we will assume millennials are anyone born from 1985-2000. Frequently, they are referred to as a large and powerful segment of consumers. Thus, it is essential to be focusing (at least some part) of your social media marketing toward them. Simple as that.
Here are seven short tidbits to help your business target millennials, from a millennial:
1. Be brief – Make your point and make it as quick as possible. To me, this tip really applies to videos. When I’m browsing my social media feeds, if I follow the page I usually take time to at least skim what they have to say. When it comes to videos, I can’t say the same. If you haven’t hooked us or intrigued us from the beginning, we probably won’t finish the video.
2. Hear us Out – We love to have our voices heard. One way to demonstrate this could be letting us have a part in building recommendation generators. Show us options of what we could have, and if we love it enough, you can bet we are going to share it to our social circle and get our friends on board with the idea too. Figuring out what we want has never been easier, thanks to online social media polls. (Check out our recent blog post on certain polling tools we like to use here!)
3. Build a Relationship – I love feeling like I know the people who operate and work for a business. If I can see what they do for the company through social media and it shows some of their personality, I feel like I personally know the business. Being transparent and showing behind the scenes aspects make us feel important.
4. Give us Something to Talk About – One of the hardest, but most brilliant ways to get through to millennials is through a personal experience. I, like almost everyone, can explicitly recall times when I have had a bad experience with a business. However, I can also recall times when I was treated with superb customer service. They say people only remember the bad times, but I beg to differ. If I have an awesome experience, I want to tell people about it online and by word-of-mouth. In this way, some aspects of social media content generation can start in your brick-and-mortar store. So keep doing what you’re doing by satisfying your millennial customers and they’re going to give you feedback in a way they know all too well – online in social media.
5. Show Your Passion – If there is a special cause your business is passionate about, let us know through your support of the cause. When I am debating on whether I’m going to buy a product or not, if it supports a special cause sponsored by the business, I will more than likely make the purchase. This could be as easy as giving a certain percent of sales during a set time period to a local cause. Another great example is the “for every ___ we will donate a ___ to ___.” You don’t have to do a lot, just do what is possible for your business and your situation. Make sure to follow through with this project and show the results of your contribution because it makes a lasting impression of your business on us.
6. Be Online – When I’m researching a product online (note: it’s my first instinct to do this online versus visiting an actual store *gasp*), I want as many details on the product as possible. You can never give enough description/qualities of the product online. After I have gathered information, I usually like to visit the store to see the product in-person, discuss my questions with an employee, and eventually make the purchase. So the lesson here is that online-researching millennials benefit from you listing as much information about the products and services online as possible. It puts us at ease during the buying situation knowing we’ve done our homework on our purchase. In return, it benefits you as well because of our purchase and the great experience we’ve had with your business.
7. Let us Spread the Love – SAMPLES! We love having tangible products to show how great your product is and everything we could have. An even better way to win us over is allowing us to give a sample to a friend. Kleenex brand tissues rocked this idea when they did a “Softness Worth Sharing” promotion where you could send a box of tissues to a friend or family member during the cold-and-flu season. For example, if you’re a garden center you could have a “Beauty Worth Sharing” promotion and send a plant/flower to someone. This could be different depending on the season you’re in (small poinsettia during Christmas, herb/spice plants during the summer, etc.). Remember, take this idea, adjust it to fit your business, and do what is possible for your situation.
So if we add all these ideas up, your social media marketing toward millennials should be brief, personal, online, and show compassion to our friends and family or to a special cause.
Millennials have been known as a challenging, yet rewarding segment of consumers. With the right structure to your marketing plan, you too will be well on your way to reaching this generation of buyers.