It’s no question that the millennial demographic is among the most coveted among target markets. This is largely because they are the most social, making them high-powered marketing machines. If you can get your product to “catch-fire” among millennials, you better get ready to scale because the word will spread like wildfire. As a millennial I can definitely attest to how quickly the word gets out. Identifying a millennial trend is often difficult, since “whats hot” and “whats not” is often changing. However, enough data has been collected to identify these three millennial trends to take note of:
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Content Marketing
The old way of advertising doesn’t work with millennials anymore. Your 30-minute infomercial was a waste of money because we’re watching all their shows on Netflix now. Millennials respond to good content, and with the help of social media there are plenty of platforms to create and release this content. The main platforms include: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, and Snapchat. When creating a post make sure its focused on the content rather than the actually “advertisement”. The more engaging content you create and post online, the more users you will eventually reach. This especially applies to millennials, mainly because we hate advertisements.
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Mobile, Mobile, Mobile
Next time you walk into a hip cafe or restaurant take a look around and take note of how many groups of millennials are sitting around the table with their heads buried in their phones. If that’s not the case, the restaurant isn’t “hip” enough. There’s no need for random statistics when the information is right in front of you, the fact is millennials love mobile. No matter what industry you’re in, it’s imperative to find a way to go mobile. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to build an app. Other ways to go mobile include:
- Web-app: Build a mobile-version of your desktop website. Mobile users can access your website via their Safari or other web browsing applications
- Social Media: Create social media accounts to advertise your goods and services.
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Do Good
Despite popular belief, millennials are actually much more progressive than people think. An extremely common millennial trend is social good and philanthropy. This is a tricky trend to hit, but if done right you will hit the jackpot. A great example is Patagonia. Patagonia is the first certified B-corp in California. A b-corp stands for beneficial corporation, or one that pledges to put social and environmental as one of their main priorities. Needless to say, Patagonia is extremely popular among millennials. Here are some strategies to stay progressive:
- Treat your employees fair and equitable.
- Donate time and money to relevant charities and philanthropic programs.
- Avoid using wasteful materials in production (ex. compostable vs. plastic).
- Be mindful of all stakeholders involved in any transaction, not just the buyer and seller.
The millennial demographic is an interesting one. With fads and trends coming in and out of style it’s often difficult to pinpoint what works and what doesn’t. However, if you’re looking to break into the millennial market now, take note of these three trends!
