According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently 83.1 million millennials, people born between the early 80’s to late 90’s, living in the United States. And, according to Accenture, these consumers are spending roughly $600 billion annually. With that, it’s imperative for your company to know how to market to millennials.
Be Real and Be Personal. According to AdAge, Millennials are spending an average of 25 hours per week online. They can’t get enough of content-driven media. They’re reading blogs and websites, scrolling social media sites and sharing every discovery they make. So, what makes them like, comment, share, tweet and snap your content? Authenticity.
Let’s say John shares a picture of his new jeans. They’ve been worn once and ripped. John’s friends and social media followers are not happy. They create negative reviews, tell their friends not to buy the jeans and their posts spread to thousands of people within seconds. Now, let’s say John loves his new jeans. Imagine the impact one user experience can now create for a product or service. Millennials want products they can trust, used by people they know.
Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing. Millennials want knowledge. They feed off informative content – blogs, videos, how-to posts. Millennials value your expertise, even more than your product. However, if they trust you, they will buy from you. By positioning yourself as an industry expert and sharing your knowledge, young consumers will respect what you stand for. Millennials want you to teach and share.
Don’t Be So Serious. Have Fun. Surfing the internet, researching products, and finding deals are the new window shopping for millennials. The experience of shopping is more enjoyable to them than the actual purchase. Pinterest, Etsy, and even Instagram have made personal expression part of the shopping excursion. Have fun with your website and posts. Millennials want entertaining engagement and an active user experience.