This generation grew up with much more covert marketing tactics than previous generations. This means they’re both immune to many traditional marketing approaches and have the ability to tune out and depend on tunnel vision to get the content they want. They hate obviously promoted content, many can’t recall a time when they had to watch a commercial or listen to one, and they don’t appreciate being talked down to by CMOs. In other words, they can be a marketer’s worst nightmare, but they’re also up for getting engaged when approached correctly.
As there are researchers trying to track the habits of Millennials, from where they want to live to what they want to spend money on, marketers are perhaps the most desperate to get a grasp on them. What does this young-ish generation that just recently began making a solid living want? How can they be reached when they openly despise obvious marketing?
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
1. Stop with the pitches
Millennials don’t have the time or patience for sales pitches and they can see right through them. This can be extremely challenging for old school marketers to accept. If you want to get Millennials on board, bring a few of them onto your marketing team. They know how to speak to their peers and can provide an insider’s perspective to staunch marketing firms.
2. Remember content is king
They’d much rather read a truly entertaining or informative short blog or check out an infographic rather than face a sales spiel. Remember this rule when approaching them with social media, blogs or even more traditional marketing routes. They want to take something truly useful (or at least gut-bustingly funny) away from your approach. Don’t try to slide in a pitch at the end; simply engage.
3. Foster those relationships
Engagement is pointless without fostering those relationships once they’re established. Millennials are desperate to make a connection because they grew up in an era behind a screen. They might be open to your reaching out online, but they want to feel valued with personalization and customized approaches. Don’t forget a sale once a single one is made and focus on the person behind the customer number.
4. Keep it short and sweet
This generation has perhaps the shortest attention span of all. They multi-task, they want instant gratification and they don’t have time for your hemming and hawing. When marketing to them, keep things punchy, simple (but not condescending) and to the point. Remember that time is precious and you can’t get it back, so respect the time of Millennials who are keeping a close eye on it.
The best thing any marketing teach can do is embrace changes (which means digital marketing) and keep a diverse team.
Originally posted on November 4, 2014 @ 9:41 pm