Millennials are the generation of the future, and therefore tend to be some of today’s biggest decision makers. In marketing, whether you’re trying to promote a new brand or product, bring awareness to your newest startup or influence consumers’ purchase decisions, it’s important to do so in a way that is best received by your desired audience. If your audience happens to be the millennial generation, however, this can be a little tricky. You’re likely going to have to do more than just inform them about product benefits or store discounts; you need to get them excited.
Traditional marketing methods are a thing of the past to this generation. Millennials desire fun, new, exciting technologies and marketing platforms (it makes them feel “ahead of the curve”), so marketers like yourself have to work harder and smarter to make authentic connections through these platforms.
Below is a list of some of the newest, interactive platforms you should master to best reach millennials:
Snapchat
Snapchat allows individuals to take photos, customize them with text or filters and share them with the world – or whichever part of the world they want. The photos or videos have a lifespan of just a few seconds, and then they are gone forever. “Stories” is a newer feature that allows users to keep up with the rest of the world, but it’s also an opportunity for advertisers to reach specific markets.
Whether you’re hosting an event to launch your startup, or you want to promote your new product line, Snapchat stories give you the chance to give users an inside look into your brand that they may not have known of or seen from traditional advertising. It’s much more exciting to see other millennials out at an event supporting a new company or product launch in real time than it is to read a newspaper article that recaps what went on three days earlier.
Periscope
Similar to Snapchat, Periscope is another rising social media platform that gives people the chance to look directly into the lives of others in real time. The app gives users an up-close and personal look into your brand by providing them with live streaming of events, broadcasts, Q&As and more.
Millennials love having what feels like unlimited access to everything and anything happening in the world, and Periscope promotes this notion with its easy access to thousands of people, companies and locations. If you want your brand to stand out in the crowd, hosting frequent talks and events on Periscope is sure to help!
YouTube
Increasingly, YouTubers are becoming the new A-list celebrities to teen and millennial generations. To this generation, YouTube stars seem more relatable; they aren’t movie stars being paid to endorse companies and brands. The “human” factor makes these individuals and their posts much more relatable to the everyday person. However, while the individual may not be the one endorsing a brand or product, their YouTube channel can be. For advertisers, posting your content on related YouTube channels is a great way to catch the attention of these young viewers.
For example, if you work for a hardware company and have a new brand of tools that you’ll be carrying, you can advertise on a YouTube channel of an individual who posts do-it-yourself home repairs. His/her viewers will click one of the videos to see how to hang Halloween decorations, but see your ad for the new tool kits you have before the video starts. While this isn’t as interactive as Snapchat or Periscope would be, you’re still reaching millennials in their environment, which means you’re more likely to make a lasting impression than if you just threw your ad in the next publication of Better Homes & Garden Magazine.
Of course, technology and social media are bound to endlessly change and advance, which means marketing strategies will too. Make it your goal to keep up on the latest social media and technology trends, and you’re bound to come up with some great ways to reach the millennial generation. Just remember to be unique, be creative and – most importantly – be human.
If you want to learn more about reaching your audience through these platforms, contact the social media and marketing experts at GREENCREST to get the answers!