In the midst of the online marketing revolution Millennials are driving the bus. Keep quiet about it though, it’s best they not know we’re targeting them. Below are a few tips for cutting through and making a connection with Millennials.
But First: What is a Millennial?
The term ‘Millennial’ generation was coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in a series of landmark books on generations and generational theory. Otherwise known as ‘Gen Y’, a moniker not widely appreciated by Millennials, these up-and-comers to the business world were born roughly between the years 1978-2002.
4 Online Marketing Tips to reach Millennials
1. Focus on the narrative.
This generation loves a story and your ability to tell a good tale as part of your online marketing strategy will no doubt shape your effectiveness in winning their loyalty. Millennials grew up in a world where everything was shiny and new and ‘newness’ was linked to modernity. The push back against that thinking is a new emphasis on timelessness and connection with the past. While it’s important to look for Millennials in places where others aren’t, i.e. snapchat, you’ll want to show the side of your brand that has lasting value and a connection to the past.
2. Convert with content.
It’s not news that folks are primarily making decisions based on information they find through search engines and this is especially true for Millennials. Gaining their attention and trust, however, requires a more devoted strategy. Gone are the days of simply optimizing for keywords and back-linking yourself to number one. To win the Millennials’ attention your online marketing strategy will have to give them something of worth when they arrive. If you’re not providing engaging (and optimized) blog content via your website you’ll probably never win the loyalty of the Millennial generation.
3. Mobile friendly. Not just responsive.
Have you spent much time on your website using a mobile device? If you’ve not, you should. It’s important that your site has intuitive mobile navigation, one-click directions, call buttons and responsive design. Responsive design has become the hot term lately but most websites are usually built with a desktop perspective first, then optimized for mobile. An argument can be made, especially if you’re targeting Millenials, that this process should be reversed. Since web use recently has flipped and more users are engaging via mobile than through desktop computers, to get through you’ll need to be mobile friendly, not just responsive.
4. Get serious about social media.
Did you realize that Millennials are disengaging from television at a staggering rate. Their disengagement from print media is even sharper. While switching off traditional forms of media they are switching on to Social. To target this group, who are becoming the new crop of decision makers in business, you’ll need to have a comprehensive social media strategy. Showing them a creative presentation of useful information and a soft sell on your brand message can win their attention and their loyalty.