Millennials:

 
You may or may not have heard the term. Sources vary, but generally Millennials are classified as individuals with birth years ranging from 1982-2004.  Famous generations like the Baby Boomers have come about due to a significant societal influence, i.e. WWII.  For the Millennials, their lives have developed from a culture heavily influenced by a continually evolving entity: the computer.
 
Many researchers have named traits of these so-called, “Millennials” as being community engaged, globally connected, confident, tolerant, upbeat…narcissistic and entitled.  Wait, what? While Millennials have leveraged computers and the internet to give them an empathetic view and wider knowledge about the people and world around them, they have also used it as a tool to perpetuate a virtual identity and sense of self.  Hence the popularity of Social MEdia, and the ever popular “selfie”, which may or may not be a type of art form.
 
 
 
Though socially engaged and intrinsically self-absorbed, Millennials command a respect and power all their own.  They are a unique group of people who have seen computers and the internet evolve since their birth.  And as they grow older, their buying power and influence becomes larger.  It is important to understand the uniqueness of these individuals, as only a unique and creative marketing strategy will be successful in harnessing their interest.
 
Gone are the days of traditional advertising. Millennials use their computers and smart phones to shop.  Below are five tips from Mr. Joe Kaplan at Mashable.com on how to successfully capture their attention before the next cat video shows up on their feed:
 
“Go Mobile”: Your website must be mobile friendly.  Millennials have had a birthright to fast and constant information. If your website needs more than a thumb to navigate, scroll, zoom and adjust, you have lost your potential customer.
 
“Support Immersion”: Include your Mill-audience in your company.  Ask them questions through Social Media, encourage them to share relevant photos, and include their personal stories into your brand.
 
“Be Transparent” : “Consumers know the company’s mission and can see how that mission is being met. And they can participate by using the product.” This builds trust, it allows your audience to see your company as a living entity that they can be a part of and help grow.
 
“Find Your Target”: “Millennials are more attached to experiences than products.” This is extremely true. Remember, Millennials care about identity, and most importantly an identity that they choose for themselves.  Anything that will supplement your audience’s sense of lifestyle will prove to be very valuable to both you and your customer. For example, instead of saying your product is the best, most durable, or less expensive, market it as a “time saver”, or explain how it will create more freedom to pursue other tasks, or how it’s design is “smooth”, “sleek”, and “sophisticated.” Again, create an experience your audience wants to be a part of.
 
“Create brand evangelists”: “When millennials fall in love with a product or an organization, they tell the world — through social media and face-to-face conversations.” This brings me to a wonderful quote by Steve Martin:


Make your product/service amazing, and Millennials, through their inherent nature, will spread the word, one selfie at a time.
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