How to market to Millennials

Did you know there are almost 17 million Millennials in the UK? This makes up over a quarter of the country’s total population, second only to the baby boomer generation. It’s a demographic that simply cannot and should not be ignored when it comes to your digital marketing efforts.

Millennials are generally described as those born between 1980 and the mid-1990s and at present are the biggest online spenders, despite having less income and disposable cash than the baby bomber generation that came before them.

According to Bauer Media, Millennials can be segmented into five different groups:

• Influencers (11%) have high media usage and are more likely to be male. They have a unique voice and like it to be heard – especially online.
• Adopters (28%) have high media usage and are more likely to be ABC1*. Peer respect is key; they use knowledge and appearance to stand out.
• Apprentices, (12%) are younger and more likely to live in London. They are focused on self-progression rather than keeping up with trends.
• Entertained (32%) are older, more likely to have children and more likely to be ABC1*. Personal relationships are key, they look to media brands primarily to entertain.
• Contented (17%) are older, more likely to have children, and are more rural living. They are satisfied with life and don’t chase the latest trends.

*ABC1 refers to a UK specific demographic classification. A consumer from one of the three higher social and economic groups, which consist of people who have more education and better-paid jobs than those in other groups.

The NRS social grades are a system of demographic classification used in the UK

Having grown up surrounded by rapidly-advancing digital technology, Millennials are incredibly tech-savvy and thus marketing to this group of individuals can have its challenges. So here are our top tips:

• Millennials are much more ethically-minded than their parent generation and therefore tend to make green buying choices. If you can appeal to this side then you’ll be well on the way to getting them on side.
• Don’t alienate with language. Millennials don’t want to be baffled with corporate jargon so speak to them using language, tone and medium that they can relate to. Video is a particularly effective way of communicating with them.
• Pushy advertising is a no go. Savvy Millennials aren’t fond of the hard sell but value word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews – it’s one of the reasons they respond to influencer content so well. So, create a customer journey that enables them to draw their own conclusions.
• Show value. Despite their love of the finer things in life, due to the world of economic uncertainty in which they have grown up, Millennials are much more likely to be speculative over their purchase choices than other generations. Make sure they understand the value of what you are offering them.
• Build trust. Millennials respond to honesty and integrity so make sure your marketing content portrays these attributes. Millennials are also a loyal generation so, if you are able to get them on board with your brand, not only are they more likely to return but recommend your brand to others, enabling you to grow your customer base organically.
• Personalisation. A key way to grab the attention of a Millennial is to personalise your marketing efforts. Millennials value individuality so offering something unique to them is a good way of getting them onside.

Need help marketing your brand to the Millennial generation? The experts at Air Social Digital Marketing Agency are here to help. Contact us to find out how we can work together to help your brand grow.