The millennials are inheriting the earth.
By “earth,” I mean “workforce,” but the meaning stands: Millennials are taking over, and they can’t be ignored. So how can today’s brands make sure they can reach this audience? The answer lies on our screens.
Millennials are the largest generation in the United States and have enormous spending power. My generation is often criticized for always being on our phones, for taking pictures of everything and posting it. Technology has allowed for broader communication than ever before, so it is important that brands can use this technology to connect with the next generation. Uproar PR’s article “Reaching Millennials Through Social Media” lists six ways for businesses to use social media.
1.Don’t over generalize
My generation wants our voices to be heard. Brands that target millennials need to be aware of these many different opinions. Messages that try to encompass many different interests are often too vanilla and fall short. Brands need to narrow their message to make it more specific, which will make it more powerful.
2. Transparency
Communication is key, and we like knowing that we can talk to anybody if we need to. “Make it personal,” Uproar writes. “Millennials can recognize a canned response instantly.” Communication needs to be two-way, and brands need to show that they can be a trusted source online.
3.Products with a purpose
In another vein, brands can tell their own story. A good cause or end goal can draw in a lot more people than just, “we want to make money.”
4.Share-worthy content
Millennials tend to follow things that go along with their interests, are funny, or that can connect them to the rest of their circles. Sites that post only specific content work great for that specific audience, but broader subject matter will mean a bigger audience.
5.Proper platforms
A brand shouldn’t try out the newest app just to stay ahead of the curve; they need to stay strategic. When Snapchat came out, it exploded and is now one of the most popular social media platforms, but Snapchat doesn’t work for every brand. Millennials can and have influenced which platforms are most popular , so brands need to think about which will work best for them.
6.Social influencers
Social media popularity feeds itself. The more followers a person or business has, then that means more people to tell their friends to follow their page, and the audience grows. Your brand can work with similar brands or can partner with other particularly influential people to get your message out, so then more and more people will be able to see through someone they already follow that your message is quality.
Millennials are a powerful generation that can no longer be ignored. Brands need to make sure that they can reach them on all platforms, or be drowned out.
By Katy Maurer, Account Executive, Olivet Nazarene University’s Strickler Planetarium
