If you hope to be cornering off a section of the millennial consumer pool, it is time to move past the myths and stereotypes that paint this as a cheap and fickle bunch of online shoppers. In the following article, Mia Shark shares her top tips for connecting with this discerning demographic.
“Millennial” is the term given for those who were born between 1981 and 1996, according to the Pew Research Center, and they are a savvy lot. Statistics show that 50% of millennials are taking or have completed some form of higher education. Furthermore, they are an incredibly tech-savvy generation as most of them were around during the advent of the internet and the rise of household computers.
Millennials are also ready and willing to spend their money and outspend all other generations on things like eating out. But, they tend to be more thorough in their research of products available to them due to the sheer magnitude of options available. According to Goldman Sachs, around 57% of all millennials will compare prices before making purchases.
Those looking to market to the millennial will need to look for ways to set themselves apart from the competition. The following are some of the most important principles to keep in mind when marketing to millennials.
1. Focus on churning out high-quality videos.
Video is not an optional component of your content marketing plan anymore. Animoto conducted a study that found 80% of millennials will use a video to research an item before making a purchase. This doesn’t mean that you need to include video content at every point of your marketing campaign. You need to look for quality content, not quantity.
Mia Shark explains further saying “A well-crafted video is one that appeals to its market on a deep emotional level and provides a completely original identity. It is the differentiation between yourself and the competition that will ensure your customers keep coming back. It will all come down to your executions so be sure you are focusing on a few well-crafted videos than churning out hours of mediocre footage”.
2. Prioritize creative advertising.
You will find that an innovative marketing strategy will hold the key to making that crucial connection with your millennial demographic. For the most part, it is Mia Shark’s belief that millennials are sick and tired of being sold a spiel and want the cold hard facts on how this product will make their life better. Then they might be inclined to make a selection.
Innovative marketing strategies will generally perform better with millennials than your standard push marketing techniques, Mia Shark claims. Millennials are largely fed up with traditional methods of advertising, and while they want information, they want to select it instead of having it forced upon them.
A study that was performed at the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts has shown that millennials filter out ads on Social Media and look for other reference points to make a purchasing decision. The study says that being born in the age of technology millennials will consume their information where and how they like.
So, who do millennials trust? They trust others on their social media networks, which is one of the reasons word of mouth advertising is bigger than ever before, according to a report by WOMMA. With this in mind, rather than solely focusing your efforts on traditional outbound marketing, you should consider using any buzz generated by your products or service to tap into the millennials desire to share and pass on information about what they find interesting.
3. Divide up your millennial markets.
It’s equally important to remember that not all millennials are the same and grouping them all into the same marketing message may not be a good idea. Instead of this, try to create a bespoke campaign for the audience you are marketing to, this way you have a better chance of resonating with a specific section of the market.
Mia Shark explains this by saying “Yes, the age demographic is the most obvious choice, but you will do far better to get right down to the needs of the actual market individual.” In other words, rather than trying to guess an age bracket, it will do better to know exactly what your customers are watching and how they choose their media.
4. Support a noble cause with your business.
A worthy cause is a great way to provide that extra incentive to invest in your products and services because everyone wants to make the world a better place, according to Mia Shark.
If you want to market more effectively to the millennial consumer, you will have to develop a love for specifics.
While there are many common traits shared by millennials, Mia Shark believes that they are far more like unique individuals and prefer a high-quality informational message than swooping ad campaigns that don’t resonate with anyone specifically. Millennials are the generation living today and there are plenty of reasons to learn to market to them.