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Advertising for Millennials

Many marketing and advertising agencies struggle to find strategies that will gain millennial’s attention and affinity. Why is Generation Y more challenging for companies to influence, and how do companies achieve this goal?

Millennials are individuals who were born between 1980 and 2000. This generation has more familiarity with digital technologies, mass media, and communications than previous generations. They are seen to be innovative, connected, and idealistic. Devices and technologies are constantly changing, so how do companies maintain all the innovation to catch the interest of millennials?  Marketer Insider Group mentions three factors that are vital to marketing and advertising to millennials: time, trust, and memorability.

Time is important to consider because millennials are fonder of connections and relationships. Companies should take their time building relationships with millennials, not rushing to believe they have one. Rushing leads to looking insincere and fictitious, which is undesirable for millennials.

Trust is vital when connecting with millennials. Millennials are known to gravitate to companies that seem authentic and reliable. Be straight forward and real. They will appreciate the truthfulness and sincerity. Good ways to look authentic are to show the companies personality through social media. Social media and personal recommendations form opinions that millennials will believe.

Memorability. Don’t be boring! Be engaging and innovative. Millennials are more advanced in the digital field than previous generations, so it’s important to know the trends and current technologies. Every company is looking for new, trendy, and creative ways to catch the eyes of millennials, so there is a lot of innovation prevailing. You want to stand out and be remembered. A helpful tip to start: target social groups instead of life stages. Many millennials are living a different life pattern than previous generations. They are staying single longer, living with their parents longer, and focusing more on their career.

Advertising and marketing to millennials can be easy, just incorporate these three factors and capturing their attention will be easy!

Additional approaches to hook the millennial audience is to focus on mobility, have a purpose, be current on trends, and keep it short and to the point.

Mobility has grown and is taking over the digital world with millennials using mobile over desktop. The easy access that mobile provides is a major reason for its popularity. Many companies are focusing more on mobile than desktop. Apps for mobile devices are skyrocketing and are starting to be used more than the internet. Start concentrating on mobile devices and you will reach millennials.

Have a purpose for your company and clients. Previously mentioned, millennials are known to be attracted to companies that seem more authentic and trustworthy. A great way to gain trust and seem sincere is to support a cause. Make it known that the company is involved with a certain issue or cause and that will give more meaning for millennials to support and trust you.

Trendy is what they’re looking for! It’s not all about tradition anymore. It’s all about what’s new and innovative. Millennials will notice if you’re up to date on trends or if you’re still functioning from the Mesozoic Era.

Concise. Especially for online advertising, keep it short, real, and natural. Native advertising seems to be a favorite for millennials because of the natural look of the ads. This type of advertising is less intrusive. Also, use shorter video ads. No one wants to watch a 3-minute long advertisement. It’s all about easy and fast access now, so don’t waste any time with obnoxiously long ads.

Generation Y may be changing the way the world turns, but don’t let that slow you down. Take all the innovation, digital advancements and technologies in stride and use it to your advantage. Millennials will take notice!

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