Aubrey W is a 5-Star writer at WriterAccess
These days it seems that there is such an abundance of stereotypes and definitions about Millennials that it’s sometimes difficult to know what demographic you’re actually trying to reach. Are they lazy and entitled, go-getters who care deeply about the world around them, or something in between?
While it’s easy to argue about points such as these, knowing the basics of such a broad group of people is the best place to start. Millennials were born anywhere from 1980 to 1999 (or the mid-2000s, depending on the source), meaning that the majority of them are now young adults.
As a generation that witnessed the meteoric rise of technology from a young age, Millennials seek out and react to content in a different way than their predecessors. Knowing how to tailor content toward a generation that is burgeoning with young professionals is vital to successful marketing.
1. Do your research
According to a 2014 White House study by The Council of Economic Advisers, roughly “61 percent of adult Millennials have attended college,” and they are far more diverse than previous generations.
An increasing thirst for knowledge coupled with the vast resources available via the internet mean that Millennials are more likely to catch on to misinformation (and call you out on it too). To retain the Millennial audience, your content must be seen as both knowledgeable and coming from a credible source. There is so much false information floating around that Millennials tend to take everything with a grain of salt.
2. Keep your topics relevant and your key points at the forefront
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller’s musings on life are just as pertinent to reporting the news and publishing content. With constant updates on social media and online news sources, what is relevant today may not be tomorrow. Keeping on top of hot-button issues and pop
culture may seem both daunting and exhausting, but it will help maintain the interest of your readers.
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Millennials have become so accustomed to reading snippets and headlines as they scroll through websites that the main message of any content must be located at the very beginning for the point to be driven home. While we all hope that the articles we write will spark enough interest to be read in their entirety, it is more likely that they will be quickly scanned over for the most salient tidbits.
Brevity can be key in the right situations, particularly on social media. However, unless you’re on Twitter, don’t feel the need to confine yourself to 140 characters.
3. Create a strong call to action
Having a strong call to action is Marketing 101, however it’s all the more important when it comes to a Millennial audience. With the ever-increasing use of social media in its many forms, the younger generation are constantly bombarded with content from many diverse avenues. In creating a call to action, you must show that it is worth the extra time to pursue.
For non-profit and charitable organizations, engagement with Millennials can lead to volunteer efforts and donations. The same White House economic study mentioned above shows that young adults are greatly inclined to make an impact on their community and society around them. Calling upon the desire of Millennials to make a difference in the world and establishing how they can help will set you well on your way to success.
4. Recognize the economic status of your audience
If your content is focused on the young consumer, whether you are selling a product or recommending goods and services, it is necessary to take financial stability into consideration when catering to Millennials.
A Harvard IOP study indicated that at least 48% of Millennials ages 18-29 have student loan debt. While they are entering the workforce in droves, more of these young professionals are also moving back in with their parents than ever before, and many are conscientious about their spending as a result. Such factors play a large role in purchasing choices, as do online reviews. Confronting any negative reviews head-on is therefore an important aspect to creating content.
5. Make sure your content is easy to share!
Once your content is compiled and ready to be distributed to the masses, don’t allow it to stagnate! The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that Millennials are “changing the means and speed by which marketplace information is exchanged. Millennials add content through constant connectedness and the popularity of social media, keeping marketers on their toes.” Quick share links to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the like are an easy way to convert one view of your content into a multitude.
Millennials will share content they find interesting and timely without hesitation, allowing the possibility for your content to spread like wildfire.
5-Star writer Aubrey W is a professional marketer and freelance editor with a penchant for writing. She has experience writing industry articles, web content, blogs and newsletter pieces for a software as a service (SaaS), business to business (B2B) company.
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