No matter your industry or business sector, chances are good that your products or services are useful to younger consumers, millennials, specifically. Just like Mark Crumpacker and the rest of the team at Chipotle, know how to appeal to younger customers, you, too, can learn how to tap into this age group and turn them into loyal customers and brand advocates.
Keep the Diversity of Millennials in Mind
One of the first and most important things to keep in mind when it comes to millennials is the fact that they are such a diverse group of consumers. Not only are they in universities, cities and rural areas, they also come from different cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, millennials have developed a reputation for being non-traditional. Be sure to keep all this in mind during your marketing and advertising brainstorming sessions.
Focus on Adding Value
No matter what route you choose for marketing to a younger audience, you’ve got to show how and why your products or services add value to their lives. Why should they care about what you have to say and sell? Why should they spend their hard-earned money on your brand? Get an idea of what your younger audience wants in their lives and how your products or services meet their unique needs.
Use Several Different Touchpoints
Millennials are some of the most tech-savvy consumers, and you can bet that they use several different methods of shopping. This means that you need to focus your advertising and marketing methods on reaching them no matter if they’re shopping on their computer, tablet or phone. Even though being on so many different platforms at once can sound difficult for you as a business owner, the good news is that technology is advancing so that it’s easier to keep in touch with your customers no matter how or where they shop. Be sure to look into this tech and put it to good use.
Make the Most of Social Media
Social media has become one of the most powerful ways to communicate for businesses and consumers alike, and millennials are constantly using social media in their day-to-day lives. There are plenty of resources (free ones, at that) available that you can use to understand how to make the most of each social media platform for marketing and advertising. Once you get the hang of how to properly use the most popular social media channels, you can start to implement them into your marketing strategy. One of the absolute best things about social media marketing is that you can see results without spending any money at all.
Don’t Stop at Onboarding
Customers don’t have the same attention span that they used to, and they have more options than ever when it comes to companies to spend their time and money on. For that reason, you’ve got to keep the momentum going even after you’ve successfully onboarded millennial customers. Continue to show how your company can improve the lives of your younger customers and how your organization is changing to ensure that you always remain relevant and up-to-date. Remember, there are likely several existing companies and even more in the developmental stage that offer the same services or products as you; do what you can to keep your current customers right where they are.
Be Authentic
Forging authentic connections is exactly what millennials appreciate about companies. Remain professional, but also take steps to learn how the younger generation speaks and communicates if you hope to get their time and attention. You also need to make millennials feel as if what you have to offer was created specifically for them in mind, no matter what it is that you sell.
Younger consumers live and shop in a world that’s constantly changing, one that’s a lot different from the world their parents grew up in. Show that your business can offer them a form of stability and comfort and you’ve got a customer for life.
