Millennials, the largest generation to date, has officially surpassed Baby Boomers to make up the largest
 share of the U.S. workforce. Having grown up fully immersed in digital technology, Millennials are often snubbed as narcissistic, “selfie lovers,” when they are in fact the most tech-educated generation thus far.

 Just as Baby Boomers have for the last several decades, Millennials will dominate the consumer sector. It has become increasingly important for marketers and PR specialists to recognize their unique characteristics and adapt business practices to establish effective relationships with this demographic.

Here are five tips for targeting millennials.

Segment the demographic

 Millennials are an extremely diverse generation which means it’s impossible to target the entire demographic with one blanket message. Millennials are found in every social class and industry which means the brands having the most success targeting this market narrowed down their audience.  Segmentation can help marketers identify a target market where their efforts will be most effective.

Take advantage of social media

Having grown up in a sharing culture, millennials constantly like, comment and repost content on various platforms. Millennials want to constantly feel connected, and to cater to these needs companies must be active on many different forms of social media.

 For optimal reach, take segments into consideration to determine which social media sites your target market prefers. Don’t invest time, energy and resources on a site that your audience isn’t using.

Be authentic

Promotional copy and sales pitches will not phase millennials. They like to make purchase decisions for themselves and rely on fellow consumers to speak the truth.  

The millennial consumer needs to see other people enjoying a brand before they consider it legitimate. Marketers can encourage consumers to share their experiences via social media and can even employ influencers to promote their products.

Good public relations skills are crucial here, as first-hand accounts can easily destroy your brand rather than validate it. Negative consumer experiences are told to twice the number of people than positive ones so it is important to have excellent customer service.

Maintain loyalty

The baby boomer generation was known to be quite loyal to big name brands that they recognized. Millennials differ in that they are fast moving and eager to try new brands, giving them a disloyal stereotype.

 This can pose a problem for marketers, as the idea that first-time customers will remain loyal is an unrealistic expectation. Today, brand must work for trust and loyalty. Although this may seem hard achieve initially, millennials tend to be very consistent customers once they find a brand that they love.

Marketing to millennials is not difficult, it is simply different. Marketers who are able to recognize the unique characteristics that make up this generation will be able to adapt their efforts and gain success through establishing themselves as a millennial brand.

Millennials engage on social media, check out our Ebook for the best practices!