Even if you’re tired of hearing about millennials (even if you are one!), their role in the marketing strategies of most brands is undeniable. Millennials – those born from the late 1980s to the early 2000s – now account for a quarter of the US population. There are three times as many of them (77 million) compared to the previous generation, Generation X. While it’s true that millennials don’t have the same buying power as older generations yet, they will soon. And when that happens, make sure you’ve already earned their loyalty.
So, how can you achieve that? Millennials are the smartphone and social media generation. While Gen X and even baby boomers have been joining social platforms at a fast pace, this space is still mainly occupied by younger users. Given this, it’s clear that one of the key things they value is interaction with the brands that want to connect with them.
If you have a product that you want millennials to buy (now, or in the future), you have to understand their point of view, their priorities, and their motivations. Once you know that, you can craft content that will resonate with them and ultimately help you win their loyalty.
I recently had the opportunity to hear some key insights about emotional marketing from Chris Beutler, chief vision officer at Renegade Communications in Baltimore, MD. During a presentation he gave at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit, he highlighted 5 key concepts that resonate with people on social media, which we can all use to inform out communication strategy for this important group:
Life is short
This concept can really drive to people from a marketing perspective. Reminding people that life is short motivates them to take action and not waste any time. It inspires them to take risks and do something great. It also gives them permission to buy something for themselves that might seem frivolous or not fully considered because hey, you only go around once.
Dreams come true
This is especially important for millennials. Because the beginning of their careers coincided with the recent financial crisis, many millennials experienced a bit of failure to launch. Whether that meant moving back in with their parents after college, or simply not making the salary they hoped for after graduation, the idea that hard work will result in a big payoff is very important to this generation.
Never give up
This point is closely related to the previous once. Even though times may be hard, or they did not get called back for any job interviews after sending out 200 resumes, it’s important for them to stay motivated. If your campaign can access this hopeful, determined nature, it has a good chance of engaging millennials.
Fresh point of view
Perhaps you’ve noticed in the last 10 years that some of the most successful companies in the world are startups, and those who came to success through some nontraditional path. Perhaps you’ve also noted that the founders of most of those companies are under the age of 35. The theme of innovation and looking at things in a new way resonates strongly with millennials, so look for ways to stress fresh thinking and different ways of solving problems in your campaigns.
Unexpected twists
This final point is not really specific to millennials; it makes for good content no matter who the audience. Whether it’s a blog post, a video, or even a sentence, doing something unexpected or offering the element of surprise is a great way to keep your audience engaged and build instant loyalty. If your audience is prone to cynicism or irony (hello, millennial), if you have the ability to surprise them, you’re on your way to earning their respect.
Hopefully these tips will help you build a loyal following with a demographic that might just be the key to long term success for your business. Even if you aren’t sure that millennials are your target demographic, the good news is that the six themes outlined above are likely to resonate with everyone else, too. Because even if it doesn’t always feel like it, millennials are just like everyone else.
Video via MLB.com
