Designer Marketing Tips – Marketing to Millennials

Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, are both the 20th century’s last generation and its first truly digital one. This old century/new technology dichotomy gives pause to marketers attempting to understand and connect with this key demographic. Yet, by the year 2020, these folks will spend a whopping $1.4 trillion annually – or 30% of all retail sales in the United States. When it comes to designer marketing tips, marketing to millennials should be #1 on everyone’s list.The good news is, there are trends developing that can be used to influence this demographic and bring them to your door.

1. Trust your customers to help you market to millennials – User-generated content is a great way to push Millennials further down the conversion funnel, especially since they trust it 50% more than any other type of media. Instagram and YouTube lead the way as sources for user-generated content.
2. Collaborate with influencers in your niche – Millennials are placing more and more trust into social media influencers. In fact, 60% of Millennials have said that they would try a product suggested by a YouTuber and ⅓ consider blogs to be a top media source when researching a purchase. Blogs and various social media that offer product reviews lead the way as influencers.
3. Use live video to spark interest – From Twitch to Periscope, live video is exploding for Millennials. When Millennials consume news, 43% of them value authenticity over the content itself and there are few things more authentic than live, anything-can-happen social media streams. While Twitch and Periscope seem to have a leg up on the competition, now that Facebook allows live video, it too has great value.
4. Social consciousness matters – Millennials are a socially conscious generation with a strong desire to make a difference in the world and they’ve started turning to businesses to help them make a bigger impact. Worldwide, 69% of Millennials want businesses to better facilitate customers getting involved in social issues which are a huge opportunity for businesses to start stepping in and helping.
5. Mobility matters – For businesses, being mobile is can no longer be an afterthought - it needs to be at the forefront of every single marketing strategy. Why? Because Millennials are the mobile generation, with an overwhelming 87% keeping their smartphones by their side every second of every day. And – they use them to shop! (Thanks to Shopify.com for curating much of this list.)

Have you begun to market to millennials as part of your strategy? If yes, how has that worked for you? If not, what are you waiting for?Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.