How To Use Social Media To Target Millennials

The millennial generation (ages 18-36) have grown up with the internet and are some of the first to try technical gadgets as they come out as compared to the older generations. They’re a very important age group to market to, but are also tricky to market to as well. For millennials, brands are very important. They want a brand that a personality they can relate to, that reflects their style and personality, that can be their friend, that they can experience and have face-to-face interaction with, and that cares. They don’t like traditional marketing and love word of mouth. They grew up with social media and most use it daily, so one of the best ways to reach them is with social media.

1. Add new social networks

Keep tabs on the social network scene with tech and media blogs. When you see a new social network or platform starting to become popular with millennials, add it to your marketing strategy. You want to be where your target is, after all. Plus you will be an early adopter and will enable you to target the audience before the network or platform gets crowded.  And don’t be afraid to experiment when you join a new site.

2. Content

Since millennials don’t like traditional advertising, focus on writing great content for your sites instead of creating ads. You want your content to be informative and actionable. If they find your information helpful, they will think positively about your brand. Also, incorporate video. Millenials tend to gravitate toward online video content more than any other medium.

3. Recruit them

Since millennials want to interact and be part of something bigger, try to enlist them to your cause. Share your vision and your mission with them. Get an emotional response from them to your brand or mission. Show them why you do what you do why they should be part of your team.

4. Caring

Highlight a “giving back” campaign since millennials like brands that are caring and doing good, and want to be part of it. Provide them with an easy and streamlined way they can take part in your efforts.

5. Where and how

Be aware of which social media sites millennials like to go for certain types of information. They tend to like Pinterest for shopping, for example, and Twitter for business, finance, sports information, though Facebook tends to be fairly across-the-board. Also, realize they tend to like to use Facebook and most social media platforms with their phone though Pinterest tends to get used more on tablets and Tumblr on desktops, so optimize your content for different devices.

6. Sharing

Since millenials enjoy word of mouth (one reason they’re so involved in social media), you want to get them involved in sharing your posts and product reviews. If a friend recommends a product, they’re more than likely to purchase it, and if they see a social media post about a product they’ll more than likely buy it. So offer ways for them to share your product reviews and encourage sharing of your products in general. Also, encourage sharing of your social media posts to spread the word about your brand.