101: Marketing to millennials

Know your platforms

If you want to market to millennials, it’s imperative that your business utilises every platform. Millennials are the first generation that spend more time on social media than on traditional media channels such as TV or the radio. It’s important to work out what platforms work for you best, however it’s vital that you try all platforms, particularly YouTube and Instagram. 64% of adults between ages 18-29 use Instagram, so this platform is one of the best for targeting millennials.

Utilise influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is an effective way to reach millennials on social platforms. Digital influencers now play a vital role in curating trends and highlight new products to a younger audience. Research has found that 47% of millennials are influenced in their purchases by social media. In fact, 60% of millennials have said they would try a product recommended by a YouTuber. Brands need to identify the most relevant influencers for a successful influencer campaign.

Reputation management

Another factor to consider is your brand’s online reputation management. As millennials turn to the internet to solve their daily problems, brands need to make sure they craft strategies that shapes the perception of their brand. For example, you could ask your customers to leave a review of your site on Trustpilot and Google Places. If you collect positive feedback online, it can increase your targeted audience’s trust in your company.

Avoid overly-branded creatives

To keep the trust with your customers, steer clear of overly-promotional content. Millennials aren’t influenced by traditional advertising tactics and since they’re highly literate on social media, they can easily spot online content that is clearly intended as an advert. The use of non-promotional content, such as blog posts and infographics can be much more effective at influencing purchasing decisions. Your brand should focus on issues and solve them by providing educational and hygiene content, such as quick tips and ‘How-to’ posts. Millennials are known for their brand loyalty, so creating content that elicits conversations enables consumers to familiarise themselves with the brand.

Create regular video content

Before millennials will support your brand, you need to highlight the reasons that make your company different. You need to go beyond the cost and what the service provides. Brands must build a strong foundation; you can do this by creating video content that visualises a message they can’t ignore. Make your videos personal and be transparent, and take advantage of the ways technology makes it easier to target specific audiences.