6 content-driven ways to engage the finicky Millennial

Millennials are an interesting bunch. They currently make up the largest portion of the Singaporean workforce, and by 2020 they will account for over a third of the global workforce. Many will soon be entering their prime working years with high purchasing power, making them one of the most lucrative target groups for marketers.

However, connecting – really connecting – with Millennials is no easy task. There’s a reason so many marketers tear their hair out when trying to target and engage them, simply because Millennials aren’t very responsive to traditional methods of advertising. This is also true for the Millennials’ younger siblings, Generation Z.

So how can you approach and execute a campaign that appeals to the needs of today’s tech-savvy youth? Answer: Through smart and targeted content.

  1. Keep things mobile friendly

Everyone knows this about Millennials – they eat, live and breathe mobile, and are addicted to social media in all its forms. They are the mobile generation, constantly consuming online content on the go. This means brands need to tailor their marketing to think mobile first.

From making sure your creatives are specifically tailored to each social media platform, through to creating bite-sized videos that are interactive and easy to digest – make it a point for your marketing to be fit for the Millennial on the move.

TIP: You can make use of some amazing free resources such as Facebook’s business tips and ad guides which can help ensure your content is both desktop and mobile friendly.

  1. Make them feel important

Be active on social media, and by ‘active’ we don’t mean just post things regularly. You have to engage with your audience on a genuine level. Reply to comments, ask for feedback and interact with people, as opposed to using these channels purely as promotional avenues. Involve your Millennial audience and let them be a part of your brand and its story.

  1. Listen, educate and don’t interrupt

Millennials grew up in a world of smart devices and laptops, surrounded by fast-advancing technology. Having been bombarded with advertisements from a very young age, they know when they’re being sold to and hate it, which explains the amount of ad-blocking apps at our disposal. Think about the commercials played before a YouTube video, or between songs on your free Spotify account. Those commercials interrupt to sell, and detract from the user experience. Instead, a targeted content marketing campaign focuses on listening to people. It allows brands to address consumer pain points without that annoying sales pitch.

Produce educational content that is engaging and inspiring. Always consider the end-user and what they need. As Millennials are time poor and want quick solutions for everything, you can post an advert online that tells how fast they can do something, be sent something, or complete a task. For example, if your ad’s messaging is around the world’s fastest-drying hairdryer, promote a piece of content discussing “5 speedy ways a quality hairdryer can save you time”.

Where an ad might be disruptive, the article serves to educate and allows the readers to make up their own mind on their next beauty purchase.

TIP – Always have a call-to-action on every content piece. This will help direct a potential customer further down the purchase funnel.

  1. Get personal

Instead of creating content around a generic understanding of Millennials, create targeted information that appeals to life stage rather than age. Targeting all Millennials is too general, and would likely result in your audience thinking you don’t understand them at all. A 30-year-old professional would have different life priorities when compared to a 17-year-old student.

Makeup giant Sephora, does a great job in targeting the Millennial audience with all the latest makeup products, tips and tricks. Here’s a Hello Kitty styling product focusing on a younger Millennial demographic with this cute graphic and fun content.

Then there was this year’s must-have beauty buy – the new Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. This post is targeting those ‘older’ Millennials with a bit more disposable income who value beauty and luxury. Each post from Sephora has a different targeting purpose to ensure the brand covers the wide Millennial demographic.

  1. Be authentic, relevant and fun!

It’s important for every piece of content to be authentic. Create personalised stories and use a conversational tone of voice. Millennials will appreciate it and are more likely to respond to a genuine conversation.

Remember, Millennials love to be a part of something and respond well to human qualities when it come to brands and their marketing. Be real and relevant to YOUR audience!

Clever marketing will get the message across in an engaging and humorous way that will have the audience coming back for more. Check out this great Instagram post from Dunkin’ Donuts who were able to have some fun with the Pokemon Go craze and received a lot of fan attention as a result.

  1. Bring your visual game

As people who live in the digital sphere almost 24/7, Millennials are easily distracted. A website or post with poor design is an instant turnoff, while eye catching visuals accompanying content is more likely to grab attention. It’s all about the #aestheticgoals here, so use a mix of engaging creative such as videos, infographics, images and GIFs.

Global snack food brand Oreo has mastered the art of visual content with its clever Instagram account. Check out this fun work-themed example from Oreo that received a lot of fan engagement:

Yes, Millennials may seem like one of the hardest demographic group to target, but this is largely due to our lack of audience understanding. A well-developed content marketing campaign helps brand to engage and drive meaningful connections with their key audience.

If you need help reaching your audience, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg