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Millennials make up over a quarter of the UK population, and they are now in their prime spending years. This digitally savvy generation is redefining the rules, changing buying habits and influencing trends. Millennials know what they want, and they know what matters to them. They value happiness, sharing and experiences over family, practicality and duty. They are budget-conscious and sceptical. And they have learnt to be multi-taskers and multi-screeners, becoming experts at sorting the good from the bad. But with our attention spans now shorter than goldfish, grabbing their attention is key. So how can brands engage successfully?
Tech-savvy millennials are always on, constantly switching between devices—according to recent research, around 70% of millennials report using two or more devices daily. They expect brands to understand this, and if the transition from tablet to laptop or phone is anything less than seamless, they will switch off.
Efficiency and convenience are key, so it’s a good idea to use AI and chatbots. Voice capabilities and mobile payments are also increasingly popular. In fact, mobile transactions are set to increase threefold in the next five years.
Don’t use generalisations about millennials to make decisions, do real research and use real data to drive your marketing. Understanding your audience: work out trends about behaviours, needs, desires and problems. Then use these true insights, not stereotypes, to help you plan your strategy.
To engage with millennials, you need to be willing to adapt your approach to your audience. This means testing your ads and content across a variety of channels and seeing what’s resonating best. Millennials communicate differently, so it’s essential to meet them where they are at; social media, gaming, fun apps and texting are crucial to grabbing their attention. But you must also be willing to change course if necessary; if something isn’t working, ditch it.
Create a personalised ‘friendship’ with millennial customers, make it a two-way relationship and an opportunity for conversations. For example, Oreo tapped into personalised marketing with the Oreo 3-D printer at South by Southwest that used Twitter to help customers customise their cookies. Other brands that have successfully attracted millennials through interactive and personalised marketing include Air Jordan, Pepsi, Macy’s, JCPenney, Ford and Pizza Hut.
Create a more personalised experience for your customers by making relevant recommendations; millennials like to feel valued and understood. Plus, millennials love stories about people that they can relate to, so tell them about a customer or employee. They want to see what it’s actually like to use the product, engage with the brand, work in the company and see the company’s mission and values in action.
Traditional advertising is not the answer. Nearly two-in-three millennials say they skip or block ads, and research shows that 56% of millennials globally use ad-blocking tools. Millennials don’t just want to buy from brands; they want to collaborate. They don’t want to be talked at; they want to be listened to; they want to communicate. According to Forbes, 62% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become loyal customers. It’s no longer enough to just have a Twitter or Facebook page – you need to be actively posting relevant questions, asking for opinions and answering queries about products.
We still like to give, receive and handle tangible objects. Why? Because we’re human, and mail has an emotional effect on us. This effect is the reason that direct mail is making a comeback.
Tech-savvy millennials are sceptical, so be transparent, genuine and consistent. Ultimately, be human. Share behind-the-scenes info and videos about your company and what you’re working on. Or ask for feedback about your product or service in return for a reward or freebie. If they can relate to and connect with your brand, they will be loyal to your brand.
Almost 60% of millennials say the brands they buy reflect their style and personality. They are the content-creation generation — although a bit more precise: 46% of millennials report creating and posting their own videos.
So encourage them to upload their photos, ideas and stories that link their lives to your brand.
Actively encourage your audience to send feedback because millennials won’t buy a thing without researching thoroughly and checking out the reviews. And track your feedback to ensure the content you publish is appealing to your target audience. Pay close attention to social engagement and monitor the likes, shares, and comments.
Track your successes and failures so you can work out what to do next. Why make decisions based on instinct when data is available? Track clicks, conversions and cost per acquisition for every effort. Then analyse it.
Millennials love to share; 42% of them actively share online stories and 34% comment on them — and since 65% have made a purchase based on a friend’s social media recommendation, peer-to-peer influence is huge. Make use of their love of social networks — and this powerful, free, word-of-mouth effect — by creating content that adds value and is truly shareable.
And why not use their expertise and creativity? Set up a contest to improve an existing commercial or correspondence. Pick their brains to make what you are doing better. Ask them to add to the story or conversation. Then recognise them and reward them, and you may well just win them over.