Millennials make up about one-fourth of today’s population at 77 million people, according toBusiness Insider. They stand at the forefront of change in the marketing world in the past decade – driving the trends of social media and digital marketing just to name a few. However, the standards that they hold and the tastes they prefer are difficult to pinpoint as a business. Because advertising to this generation is as difficult as defining the generation itself, here are a few facts to keep in mind when starting a new marketing campaign.
They spend most of their time on the Internet.
As opposed to watching TV or shopping in physical stores, millennials spend most of their time browsing the internet shopping for products or researching into products and their online reviews. The average millennial spends 18 hours a day immersed and connected with social media – younger millennials prefer Twitter or Instagram while older ones spend more time on Facebook.
Facts play well with them.
They prefer to engage with brands that provide them with factual, accurate and genuine information about their products. They want to know all the facts and research behind products, and rely on other people such as their peers to tell them about it.
Keep it simple.
More than 85% of millennials own a smartphone and are on it most hours of the day. An advertisement that is lengthy or wordy will immediately turn them off. Quick sound bites, 30-second videos, memes or pictures are enough to engage them in what your brand is trying to communicate.
They do not fall under a cookie cutter stereotype.
What is the defining characteristic of a millennial besides that they were born between the years of 1985 and 2000? This is a difficult question to answer – and the same can be said for college students, as they are no longer solely teenagers out of high school. College students do not necessarily have the same personality types, tastes, style or preferences. It is important to note the subset of millennials you are trying to target – are they more trendsetters, outdoorsy or athletic – and how they can appeal to their different lifestyles.
