4 Important Tips for Marketing to Millennials. It is known that the “Baby Boom” led to the largest population growth in the history of the world. Now, we live in the generational echo of that prosperity. In 2020, Millennials (the generation raised by Baby Boomers) have replaced Boomers as the largest generation in America, and as they grow in age, income, influence, and means, one thing is clear: Millennials have money to spend.
But the competition for this money is fierce. Advertising to Millennials is not the same as advertising to Generation X or Generation Z. Knowing how to target millennials means learning their values, and priorities, and crafting messages that won’t rub them the wrong way. In short, it involves learning how to “speak the language of millennials.” We are here to help you do just that.
Who are the millennials?
“Millennials” are from what age to what age? Now in 2022, millennials are people aged 26-41. They earned their name because their peers became adults for the first time at the turn of the millennium.
The “Baby boom” happened from 1946 to 1964. Millennials are a large generation that was born about a generation later, between 1981 and 1996.
Top marketing tips for millennials
1- Prioritize mobile phone marketing
In addition to coming of age at the turn of the millennium, the youngest millennials were still in their pre-teens when the first smartphones hit the market in the late 2000s. As such, they are the first generation of adults who are accustomed to using mobile phones to keep up with what’s going on in the world.
Although many millennials own computers, each millennial spends an average of 211 minutes a day on a smartphone, compared to just 31 minutes on a computer. That’s why a millennial marketing plan should start there.
But the term “smartphone” is ambiguous. What apps and sites do millennials use? Currently, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Snapchat.
In short, millennials are willing to listen to ads, but only if they find them in the right places. Millennials are twice as likely to listen to video ads on their smartphones than on TV. Even better, people who watch these videos are 1.8x more likely to take action on the ad. Why? Because people who watch ads on their smartphones are more active – researching a product while shopping, for example.
2- Remember that brand values are important
As you learn how to market to millennials, remember this: Millennials are very value-driven. A study found that 83% of millennials care about whether a brand aligns with their values.
For millennials, it’s not enough to just splurge. They need to feel that their hard-earned money is going into a valuable brand. Perhaps this is why Millennials consider themselves to be more brand conscious than Generation Z (the generation after Millennials).
About 7 out of 10 millennials consider the brand when shopping. Meanwhile, only 5 out of 10 American adults pay attention to brand values. This means that today’s brands must not only be aware of their image but also create messages that connect with these millennials. Boomers watching your YouTube ad may not be able to relate to brand messages that emphasize core values like sustainability and environmental impact. But you can expect millennials to listen.
Of course, not all brands focus on sustainability messages and environmental impact. You may want to consider other brand values that will connect with millennials, including:
- Health and Fitness
- Transparency
- Originality
- Customer support
- Unboxing experience
3- Prioritize experiences over entertainment
Perhaps more than any other generation, millennials turn their experiences into points of emphasis.
If the 2008 financial crisis affected millennials’ attitudes toward money, it also reflects another of their defining characteristics: They tend to value experiences over other things. For many millennials, this preference is particularly reflected in the need to travel, with about 65 percent of them currently saving for a trip.
But it’s not just frugality that’s driving these trends. Some believe that millennials are the first generation of consumers for whom shareable content is a priority. “Modern consumers care more about creating an Instagram-able memory than buying the hottest new product,” writes customer experience futurist Blake Morgan in an article for Forbes.
4- Be Original
You may remember “authenticity” as one of the key brand attributes that millennials gravitate towards. What is it about authenticity that makes millennials more likely to buy from you? And why do they bother in the first place?
For starters, authenticity appeals to any age group. Incidentally, millennials give it a higher priority in surveys than boomers and Gen Xers. Like everyone else, millennials like to make their own decisions. Even if they feel the values of a Facebook ad align with their own, they will happily click on it.
But what does authenticity look like in practice? For starters, originality is rare. According to the same source, most consumers believe that less than half of brands are authentic. But there are a few other key tips for showing authenticity to millennials:
User-generated content: 60% of consumers rated user-generated content as the most authoritative content. Today’s mobile-friendly audience is constantly looking for word-of-mouth and online reviews to conduct product research.
Conclusion
Marketing to millennials is a long game because this group values authentic, content-driven, and honest experiences that honor their personality and voice. Empower them and remind them that the future looks brighter.
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