How to Effectively Content Market to Millennials This vital generation of consumers wants to know everything about everyone.
By Saurabh Kumar Edited by Ryan Droste
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Marketing your offerings to millenials can certainly be a challenge. Marketers across the globe no longer have the luxury of creating simple, direct and straightforward content that caters to a large audience.
In 2021, content marketing holds a prominent position in any marketing campaign across multiple platforms, online and offline. Creating and publishing quality content is a prerequisite for marketing your offerings and gaining engaged customers in the process.
However, marketing your offerings to millennials is not full of disadvantages. The ever-changing needs and interests of the audience often challenge marketers to come up with some of their best campaigns. Millennials make you don your thinking hats.
Another major advantage of connecting with millennials is their level of attachment to specific brands and platforms. If you successfully establish a healthy connection with this key demographic, you are likely to enjoy their unmatched loyalty for a long time. Below are some of the most important ways you can do just that.
Create quality content
There is no substitute for creating quality content if you want to win over millennials. This was arguably the first generation exposed to a plethora of platforms for consuming various content. Whether you are willing to create videos, articles, blogs, images or any other form of content, always keep in mind that your audience has several options to consume similar content.
This leaves you with no other option than creating content that is high in quality. Creating engaging and unique content increases its chances of being retained by your millennial audience — leading to higher engagement.
Related: 7 Things to Know Before You Manage a Gen Z Team
Tell a story wherever possible
One of the best ways to grab the attention of millennials is by telling them stories. This generation has grown up listening to engaging stories and getting attached to several fictional characters. Instead of being mechanical in your marketing approach, storytelling makes the promotional message hit harder.
Moreover, adding a story within your content makes your brand more relatable. If your customers can find themselves in the people and characters of the story being told, they are very likely to go ahead and make the purchase. It is important to understand the likes, dislikes, needs and preferences of the audience you are targeting.
Include user-generated content
Along with the content created on behalf of the brand, it is always advisable to include user-generated content in your marketing strategies. Millennials are often influenced by their peers — they want to know everything about everyone. User-generated content makes your audience relate to the brand and encourages it to engage.
However, it's crucial to control user-generated content, as it may backfire if left unchecked. Always make sure that the content created by users is authentic and works in favor of the brand.
If the content is authentic, it can boost the traction received by your brand within millennials. The photos and videos posted by the users are likely to influence the buying decisions of your prospects and help you establish a healthy relationship with them.
Assess the media used by your audience to consume content
The media platforms frequented by millennials play a key role in determining your content marketing strategy. Before you go ahead with content creation, look at the different media platforms and channels consumed by the audience at the highest rate. This will help you understand the look and feel of the content preferred by your audience.
For example, if you promote a chain of apparel and your audience prefers reading magazines like GQ, it's advisable to create content that prioritizes style and luxury. This will help you establish a better connection with millennial audiences.
Make the most of social media
In recent years, there has been no shortage of discussion about millennials' use of social media. This generation both created and witnessed the launch of social media. If you are willing to cater to millennials with content marketing, you cannot afford to ignore social media.
Conduct research to ascertain the social media platforms that are ideal for promoting your offerings. The platform you decide upon will dictate your approach towards content marketing and the kind of content you create. For example, it's advisable to use short and precise content for Twitter, engaging pictures and videos for Instagram and an ideal combination of audio and video content with engaging text offerings for Facebook.
Effective content marketing on social media will provide you with enough engagement to create a loyal base of customers. However, it's crucial to maintain consistency when it comes to posting on social media to keep your brand relevant. Given the immense competition in almost every industry, it won't take too long for your millennial audience to switch to a different brand with similar offerings.
Add emotion to your messages
Although millennials are often considered to be emotionally inaccessible, that's not the case when making buying decisions. Adding emotion to your marketing content is very likely to result in conversions. However, make sure that you use just the right amount of emotion at the right place. If you have a thorough understanding of your audience and what can stir up their emotions, you can create highly effective content marketing campaigns.
For example, if you are promoting an airline company and targeting a generation, adding the emotions of homecoming, going back to the family, meeting old friends, etc. would work as it will instantly make the content more relatable.
Avoid interrupting your audience
The majority of millennials are hooked on at least one social media platform. People often spend most of their time streaming movies and shows, watching YouTube videos, or scrolling through their favorite social media platforms. If you resort to the traditional approach of interrupting your audience and bombarding them with promotional content, it will likely backfire.
Avoid showing ads, surveys or any other form of content that interrupts your prospects' viewing or browsing experience. It doesn't take much to irritate millennials. Disturbing them with promotional content will only harm your brand's image.
Support social causes that matter
Millennials are often sensitive to the issues prevalent in society and have the drive to bring about positive social change and support those who do so.
If a brand champions a social cause and is associated with NGOs and charities that make the world a better place, they are more likely to engage with them over their competitors. When millennials associate with a brand, they share the brand's personality and take a personal interest in the initiatives taken by the company.
If the brand's motto is in sync with the social beliefs of millennial customers, they are likely to stay engaged with the brand for a long time.
Make your content interactive
Millennials are no longer interested in the passive dissemination of information in the form of promotional content. They prefer consuming content that is interactive in nature that allows them to participate with the brand on several platforms.
Therefore, it's advisable to make your content as interactive as possible. Create quizzes and polls, and engage your audience with quality content that does not bore them. If you are using social media to promote your brand, it is advisable to have contests that require your audience to share images or videos on their respective accounts.
As your customers interact with your brand, it makes them feel valued and persuades them to stay with you for an extended time.
Related: Generations X, Y, Z and Alpha: How to 'Hook' With Them
While catering to millennials through content marketing has its challenges, it is relatively rewarding if you get it right. Always remember that they prefer innovation in the services provided to them and the content they consume. If you successfully stand out from the clutter, millennials will gift you with their patronage for years.
