Millennials are one of the most important consumer audiences to any business marketing strategy, with a total of 75 million individuals in the U.S. alone belonging to this target demographic. While this tech-savvy generation is just coming into their purchasing prime, they still have an estimated buying power of over $600 billion. But engaging millennials can be tricky, as many content marketers find it difficult to grasp this group’s distinct buying patterns and consumer culture. To ensure you don’t miss the mark with connecting the dots to their collective buyer influence, MGID has compiled 6 of the most effective components needed for your millennial content marketing strategies.
Market Research
With any content marketing plan, research is key in developing the best strategic course of action. Because online technologies change so frequently, it is critical to stay on top of evolving trends in consumer patterns and digital spaces. Develop effective data collection through social metrics tools or, like some marketers, utilize the social media platforms themselves. Millennials are online more than any demographic, so understanding their behavior and the online channels they frequent is essential to developing proper messaging and brand identity.Strong, Consistent Branding
Because the market is inundated with millions of brands all vying for the attention of consumers, especially millennials, many businesses are lost in the shuffle. Only marketers that understand the digital language of millennials are able to gain brand loyalty from this target group. Expert brands know that millennials are cynics by nature, so consistency and transparency are two important components of effective millennial content marketing. If they can identify with your company ethics, see consistency across multiple platforms, and detect transparency in your digital conversations, millennials will likely deem your brand is worth their time, and if you’re lucky, their money too.Concise Language
Because there is an endless flood of information on multiple platforms engaging with— or distracting, depending on perspective—just about any person who owns a smartphone, your content must get straight to the point. Studies show that millennials have about a 5-second long attention span for advertisements. Significantly less attentive to ads than their generational predecessors, this demographic of digital natives appreciate concise, direct language from brands. Brief messaging, along with researching key words and phrases that resonate with them, will ensure that your marketing content is more successful than your competition.Effective Distribution Channels
Despite the swift changes of digital channels, there has never been an easier way to communicate with millennials than utilizing what consumes their time the most: social media. Statistics have proven that social media is a prime tool used by millennials to legitimize brands and make purchasing decisions. Any successful marketer must develop strategies to capture data from social media, as well as tailor distinct content based on different characteristics of social media platforms. Engaging videos, expert blog posts, stunning graphics, and user-generated content are all important content marketing strategies that can be utilized to attract millennials’ attention on social media. The most effective marketers realize that social media is not a disadvantage, but a means to accomplish the concept of social amplification, a tactic that many millennials utilize in boosting their own online identities as well.
Value-First Messaging
Limitless online options have given millennials more power as consumers than any other generation. No longer are consumers forced to believe or support the best brand from a limited pool of competitors. And millennials are highly equipped with the digital expertise to find literally any and everything online that their hearts could desire. So right out of the gate, marketers must convince millennials what makes their brand different and how it can benefit them more than every other company scrapping for their dollars. The distinct value of your brand or product must be easily communicated to millennials in every essence of your content marketing strategy.Authentic Storytelling
Most expert marketers can agree that nothing may be more important to millennials that authenticity. Try to get as far away from the “infomercial” gimmick as possible, and cultivate real storytelling in your branding and content marketing. With a knack for sniffing out fake content and faux brand ideology, Millennials are passionate about what they believe in and stand for, and expect brands to reflect that in their identities as well. Illustrate genuine, authentic content that is true to your brand’s core values, and your appeal to millennials will skyrocket.
