If you haven’t read part one of our Marketing to Millennials saga, then click here to have a read through before or after you read this piece. In this article we would like to give you some more information on reaching the younger generations. This time we’ll be discussing the increasingly important role of up-to-date social media accounts and modernised ecommerce experiences.
Social Media
The Background
Millennials are the largest target audience across all of the social media platforms. In fact, social media plays a progressively more important role in how millennials make their decisions on brands and take their influences on what to buy.
It is crucial for companies to have a presence on social media, and a professional one at that. By regularly posting and interacting with followers, your current and prospective customers can keep up to date with the latest products and services you are offering. When done professionally, this information won’t be perceived as an unwanted bombardment of adverts, but as an update on services they can utilise. Social media isn’t just overtaking the traditional ‘word of mouth’ style of advertisement, it is becoming it!
As well as millennials forming their opinions online, they are now met with a whole new way of marketing in the form of social media influencers. These online gurus prescribe products to the patrons of their pages and can be a great asset to a company specialising in cosmetics, fashion or sportswear.
The Particulars
As well as understanding the importance of social media, ensure you consider which platforms suit your brand, products and services the most. For example, a company which sells apartments, holidays or clothing should fully utilise Instagram. This platform is unrivalled in its ability to grab users’ attention through sharp images and short videos. If however you are a service-based company, plumbing, cleaning, auto repairs, etc., then a platform such as Facebook or Twitter may be better suited to you. On these platforms customers may leave reviews and ratings, whilst also sharing your page and services after being satisfied with your work. Millennials trust brands which are shared by their friends, families and colleagues alike. If they can see that someone they know is satisfied with your company, they will be encouraged to use your services in future.
It is important to bear in mind that not all millennials use the same social media platforms. Teenagers are becoming less active on Facebook as it is perceived by them as something that their mums and dads use. At the other end of the millennial scale, people in their 30s may not be as involved with platforms such as Instagram. Therefore, it is not just important to consider which platforms suit different services, but which platforms target different audiences.
Online Shopping User Experience
Shopping is no longer a chore, but a passion and in these circumstances it is essential that the experience of the customer is enjoyable. The experience of a customer online is based on a few different criteria:
Paying – With the rise of PayPal, Google Wallet and Apple Pay, it is crucial that companies offer these payment types on their websites. With more and more online fraud cases, millennials are sceptical to put their bank details into a website. Having these methods of payment alleviates this worry all together and instils more trust in the customer.
Delivery Options- Millennials are used to having everything delivered quickly, from their takeaways to their next day Amazon Prime deliveries. By having different options to standard delivery, such as next day delivery and pick up in store, companies can offset the impatience of the younger generation.
Content- Young shoppers are increasingly aware of the products they seek on the market, where to buy them and which brands are reliable. Videos in particular are a great way to grab a user’s attention, whilst showing off your products and services.Therefore, it is essential that your web pages are full of engaging content so the customers can learn more about your products; this again will instil trust and encourage purchases.
Get With the Times
Millennials make up a huge proportion of shoppers. The key steps which must be followed to peak their interests aren’t necessarily as complicated as you might assume, however it is essential that these steps are taken correctly and professionally. If you would like to speak to our team, mostly made up of millennials, about marketing to millennials, then get in touch today and take the first step to reaching the younger generation.
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