Selling to millennials can be tricky. The generation born between the mid-1980’s to 2000 seem to have brought about a change in the way marketing is done. Millennials can be hard to understand at times, and techniques that were once proven selling strategies just don’t seem to be working on that particular generation. The millennial generation doesn’t necessarily fit in to the stereotypical life-stage events that previous generations have prided themselves on. This generation isn’t as focused on getting married, buying a house and having kids in that order. They prefer to be seen as individuals with specific goals in life that they have set for themselves. This means that when marketing to them, you need to focus more on social and cultural groups than where they should be in that time in their life.
Millennials like more personalized marketing, they don’t like to feel that they are just another dollar sign to companies. Transparency in companies is extremely important to millennials. They want to know who they are buying from, and more importantly what the values of those companies are. This generation will pay more for a product if they know that the company they are buying from is socially conscious. It’s not enough to have a great product or service anymore, your company has to have a positive impact on the world and the people living in it in some significant way.
With the internet so readily available now, it’s easy for people to talk to each other and compare products. Reviews become one of the most important things to your company because millennials trust the opinion of their peers above all else. You should encourage comments and concerns about your company, listening to your target audience is a great way to find out exactly what they want. Millennials want to be heard and know that their actions are promoting change, they want to feel a personal connection to the companies they buy from. If millennials don’t agree with company policies or the ways they impact the world, then they simply won’t buy that companies product or service. No matter how good it is. Transparency with clients is a must for companies nowadays, honesty is among one of the top things millennials appreciate within a company. They care more about values of a company than the results that your product or service provides.
Creating “buzz” about your company online is a great marketing tactic with this generation. Millennials prefer to go online and read what people think about the product or service instead of relying solely on advertisements. Another major factor with millennials is where they are seeing advertisements. The majority of millennials use their phone more than any other technological device. This means that the best way to reach them is by mobile advertisements on their phones. Social media is also a major place to reach millennials. Social media is a great way to judge how many people are talking about your product or service. It is also another way for companies to talk with their clients instead of talking at them. A good rule for millennials is ABC, but instead of “always be closing” it should be “always be candid.”
