Millennials: How to Market to Generation Y
Posted on: Monday, February 1st, 2016
The largest and fastest-growing population in the United States is currently that group of enigmatic and diverse individuals known as the Millennial Generation, or Generation Y. Millennials, commonly defined as those aged 18-34, are almost a quarter of the U.S. population, and thus constitute a significant portion of consumers. Therefore, it’s important to know how to market to this market segment – and when it comes to millennial marketing, social media is essential. Here are a few tips on how to effectively market your business and appeal to millennials through social media:
- Create Authentic Content.
One of the major trends in millennial marketing is a push towards crafting original content that provides the user with something new. Simply recycling old content won’t fly; millennials want to see blog posts, tweets, and posts that are original and interesting. Furthermore, user-generated content is seen as increasingly trustworthy by millennials. Try offering forums for conversation and submissions from your customers on your social media platforms.
- Practice Inbound Marketing.
Inbound marketing is the practice of providing users with advertising in a form that will improve their lives or provide some sort of informative content, such as e-books, whitepapers, blog posts, videos, and other how-to information. Outbound marketing, on the other hand, is what is known as “traditional” advertising. This includes magazine ads, direct mail campaigns, pop-up ads, and radio spots. Typically, outbound marketing doesn’t attract millennials because it is often seen as disruptive and unsolicited.
- Look to Collaboration.
Millennials want to feel like they are included in the products and services you develop. You can attract their interest and participation in your business by offering them a greater role in your development process, asking for their input and ideas. For example, hold contests for design, video submissions, or product proposals.
- Offer Use Rather Than Ownership.
One of the main differences between millennials and older generations is the emphasis on use rather than ownership. Millennials would rather rent, borrow, share, and trade products than own them permanently. This alludes to the numerous options available to choose from, leading many in Generation Y to try a bit of everything instead of settling on one thing. Incorporate this model into your business by offering a “sharing” option for your millennial customers.
Of course, your marketing strategies are entirely dependent on your primary clientele. Marketing to a large portion of the population is excellent, however, if your services and/or products don’t cater to Generation Y, you may need to take an alternate approach. That’s where we come in! From the largest corporations to the mom & pop businesses alike, Social Connect can provide you with the Training you need to steer your social media marketing in the most effective direction.
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