There are over 80 million members of the millennial generation. This adds up to 25% of the entire U.S. population. This young-to-middle-aged group is in the prime of life. They are building families, buying houses, and excelling at work. More than ever before, your millennial marketing game needs to be strong.
The question is, how can companies continue to reach this key demographic?
Here are four ways you can up your millennial marketing game to reach millennials with your messages and guide them toward the sales funnels.
1. Empower Self-Service (Even in Sales)
Self-service content is a popular way for businesses to offer customer support. How-to documents, blog articles, and chatbots help customers after the point of purchase. However, they also can and should be a key part of the selling experience. Educational content with targeted CTAs can guide consumers through the sales funnel all on their own.
The good news here is that a hands-off approach to the customer journey often leads to a more confident and positive sales experience. Kristin Young, account director at the content advertising company Nativo, points out that when a customer decides to use a product or service independently, it creates a more powerful choice.
“When [consumers] decide independently on your product or service,” Young explains, “it becomes a much more powerful choice on their end.” The marketer adds that shoppers who do their own research and choose a product on their own establish a sense of psychological ownership over that product or service.
2. Stop Equating Millennials and Gen Zers
Millennials and Gen Zers are groups made up of relatively young adults. But they aren’t the same. On the contrary, as someone who has spent a lot of time studying consumer trends, sustainability, and innovation, I’ve found there are many nuances between the two younger generations.
For instance, Gen Z is often willing to take greater action to enforce a commercially related belief. However, Millennials stand out due to their willingness to learn. This makes prioritizing educational content for Millennials important.
One ironic similarity is that they both share a dislike for being treated as anything less than unique. Don’t lump the two groups together in your marketing strategy. It will backfire.
3. Keep Using Different Kinds of Content (Especially Social Media Influencers)
As you look for ways to educate and build up knowledge of your industry in your Millennial buyers, try to do so through a variety of media. This includes videos, webinars, podcasts, influencer relationships, and thought leadership articles.
Using a multi-faceted approach to content is one that 21st-century marketers know well. If I can call one of these out above the others, too, working with social media influencers is a particularly synergistic way to make the most of social media marketing.
This helps a brand’s message cut through the clutter and reach an audience that has already established trust with a particular online personality. Content, and especially social media content, remains a top priority for Millennial marketing. Influencers make it possible to remain effective within that medium.
4. Lean on Authenticity and Innovation
A natural side effect of the desire to learn is that Millennials can feel like they’ve seen it all. They aren’t surprised by traditional messages and aren’t easily convinced by well-worn marketing activities.
This makes innovation a key factor in reaching Millennial audiences. Marketers must come up with new and exciting ways to reach this key demographic. However, they must also couple this with a willingness to remain authentic and honest as they go along.
Camilla Dudley, writing for X Business (formerly Twitter), reports that 90% of Millennials prioritize authenticity as a factor when supporting a brand. Dudley suggests several creative ways to integrate authenticity into fun and attractive marketing, such as telling a brand story, using micro-influencers (see tip 3), and working with user-generated content.
As they enter middle age, Millennials remain a primary target for marketers. They are numerous, have growing needs, and are generating wealth more than ever before. As they target Millennials, marketers must keep their messaging fresh and engaging. Use the tips above to breathe new life into your marketing strategy so that you can continue to craft promotional assets that resonate with one of the most important demographics in the market.
