Many of my readers are millennials, which is why I wanted to talk to you guys about an interesting video I just watched. 4imprint recently released a video about marketing to millennials, and there were some key takeaways that I thought were super interesting.
Our dependence on technology and love of social media has meant that brands need to work harder than ever to engage with us. We grew up in a time where we could easily research any brand we wanted, and then see what others were saying about that brand on social media channels.
That means that brands can no longer rely on marketing to us the way that they marketed to our parents. If you’re anything like me, you probably follow a few brands on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. But you probably don’t follow boring brands that are only releasing advertising content or continually talking about their own products. Instead, millennials like you and me will only engage with brands that we feel are giving us real value.
Outbound marketing is officially out. We want to feel involved and connected when we buy products, and traditional marketing doesn’t allow us to do that. Radio adds, direct mail campaigns, and magazine advertising simply don’t impress us. Instead, we want personalised, customer-driven, inbound marketing.
We’re all about supporting businesses that show they’re dedicated to improving our lives through informative content. Instead of boring service and product listing, we want videos, blog posts, whitepapers, and how-to information.
One good example is the YouTube page for Mac. Most millennials are looking for helpful guidance, and Mc provides helpful makeup tutorials- something that I’m much more likely to share with a friend than a print ad.
Many of us also follow brands that we often use. Travellers follow travel insurance companies, airlines, airports, and hotels. Girls who like makeup follow Sephora, Urban Decay, Benefit, and Anastasia Beverley Hills. And many of us follow everything from fast food to fashion on social media.
It doesn’t take much for us to hit the unfollow button though. Brands who want to keep our loyalty should be sharing organic, interesting content 70-80% of the time, and keeping advertising to a minimum. The best brands don’t even need to mention their names, and manage to engage with us without being annoying.
We can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, which is why the best companies are transparent. User generated content, reviews, and collaborations with influencers are the best way to get us to sit up and pay attention. If my favourite beauty blogger or best friend have recommended a product, I’m much more likely to grab it than if I see it advertised online or in a magazine.
Check out the video below to learn more interesting facts about marketing online to this generation
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