Marketing to Millennials

By Laurie Hileman

To reach millennials—the largest generation of Americans (approximately 83.1 million), ranging in age from 18 to 35—you need a content marketing strategy that understands the value they place on peer-to-peer recommendations along with their desire for authenticity and personalized experiences.

Check out these three facts about marketing to millennials and the quick tips on capturing the hearts, minds, and wallets of this powerful generation.

1. Millennials crave content. They spend plenty of time each day consuming media (some reports suggest up to 18 hours a day) for a variety of reasons, including entertainment, news, and research. And they’re open to branded content—more so than other generations—as long as the content is targeted to their interests and needs.

Tip: Demonstrate your expertise by providing useful, relevant content as part of an overall content marketing plan.

2. Inbound is in. Millennials want to determine when, how, and where they learn about your brand. They prefer inbound marketing materials such as blog posts, videos, and eBooks, rather than more disruptive, outbound methods such as ads and pop-ups.

Tip: Put your audience in the driver’s seat and offer content in formats they prefer.

3) Speak their (tech) language. Millennials consider smartphones and other mobile technology an extension of themselves. In fact, almost 90 percent of them say their smartphone never leaves their side. High-quality mobile apps and an engaging social media presence are more important than ever before.

Tip: Create a multi-platform strategy to make sure your content lives in the same channels as your audience.