by Jemima Ashleigh
Ahhhhh Millennials…riddles wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. Or at least that how it feels trying to market to them. Their loyalty is mercurial, their tastes appear fickle and the minute they feel they’re being marketed to they shut up shop quicker than a startled echidna.
But there is a way into their wily hearts and it really is at your fingertips.
I have two words for you. Social. Media. If your social is not on fleek then you need to get busy.
According to Kantar TNS Research, the average Millennial (aged 16-30) with internet access, spends 3.1 hours a day on their mobile devices – the equivalent of 21.7 hours – almost a whole day – every week. That’s 47 days over the course of a year. 47 days!
And these folks are listening to someone – you need to jump on board and wring the hell out of that opportunity.
The importance of influence
Using relevant key influencers, especially when it comes to Instagram, is waaaaay up there in terms of importance. People scouring, following and interacting on Insta are going to be swayed by what their fave people are doing, saying, and buying. Do not be scared to approach your chosen Influencer with the idea of getting them to help you out with spreading the word.
But don’t just jump blindly into thinking someone with 1.5 million followers is definitely your best bet – check out their engagement stats before you send off anything. Someone with a lower number of followers, say only 5000 but an engagement rate of 30% is a much better bet than your 1.5 million follower Influencer who can only dredge up 0.2% engagement. Hate to point this out but your mother was right – always look for quality over quantity. Don’t you just detest it when that happens?
Your more Micro Influencers are also less likely to want cold, hard cash for their blessings, but it doesn’t hurt to offer a little somethin’, somethin’. Always, and I mean always, offer your product or service for free to them and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to expectations of how many posts, links in their bio to your site and so on..
Choose your weapon
Now here’s a thing…guess what social platform Millennials jump onto first thing when they wake up?
Insta? Nah.
Facebook? Nope.
Snapchat? Bingo!
If you want to reach your M peeps – than you gotta get snappy about it! Millennials account for 7 out of 10 Snapchatters. If you can afford to walk away from a platform 70% of your target market is sitting on…. well you’re a bigger (wo)man than me.
So I hear you have a beauuuuttifuulllll website? Hate to break this to you – well no I actually I don’t, it’s my job – but unless you are spruiking a link to your website through social media then Millennials ain’t going to visit. They get their online cues from social platforms and don’t just do random searches. That was so yesterday. They buy through Insta and Facebook and they are heavily influenced through Snapchat. Having a website without social media drivers to it is the same giving a bicycle to a fish. You get my drift.
Final word
You need to incorporate your brand seamlessly into the social world these Millennials inhabit. Straight up advertising doesn’t work with them, you’ll be ignored and at worse slammed by them. Just ask Kendall Jenner.
SOURCES:
http://www.tnsglobal.com/us/press-release/tns-millenials_study_111915
https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Want-Reach-Millennials-Say-Hello-Snapchat/1011871
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Jemimah is the Creative Director of Tangs Design and one half of The Business Experiment podcast. Jemimah is passionate about breaking through myths and misconceptions of entrepreneur-hood and thrives on helping other females in business succeed.
Jemimah has extensive studies in the fields of security, intelligence and speaks several languages. She is an astute, engaging entrepreneur with a one-of-a-kind skillset, including a finely honed understanding of emotion and behaviour that she puts to good use in her business career.
Jemimah works as a mentor, comedy writer, a speaker and a social media guru. She is also blogger and a regular contributor to multiple media outlets. Jemimah brings an original, quirky sense of humour and a fun loving attitude to everything she does. She is passionate about helping people to express their individuality and creativity.
