Millennial marketing is an oft understood goldmine
In ComScore’s latest whitepaper, they examine why Millennials are so much more mobile than their older counterparts, as well as, five things every marketer should know to efficiently target them. Millennials are defined, in this report, as persons aged eighteen to thirty four. What differentiate them are their digital media consumption habits, most prevalent in their mobile usage.
Millennials are more likely to be open to embrace and engage via smartphone or tablet than older users. However, what is most remarkable is the greater percentages of Millennials are exclusively mobile users. Nearly one in fiver Millennials do all of their internet browsing, emailing, searching, social networking, and online news reading on a smartphone or tablet. This is in comparison to only five percent of 35-54 year-olds and only three percent of those 55 and older.
Why? Most likely it has to do with the fact that this generation grew up adapting to technology and continue to do so. They were around when the internet was just starting to become what we see today. Millennials started out on dial-up, using AOL away messages much in the same way we use Twitter today: to express individuality and thoughts. They integrated technology into every aspect of their lives from research papers to sharing a conversation and were the first generation to do so. Now, they use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with ease. With smartphones everyone has information at their fingertips and have a hard time being without a connection to both technology and social media sites.
Five things to know about marketing to Millennials
So what five things do marketers need to know about targeting the Millennial generation?
- Millennials spend a full day of every week online and are mobile-heavy on their usage. This suggests that marketers need to ensure their ads and web sites are mobile-friendly.
- Millennials more likely own smartphones and have an affinity for iPhones. Creating an iPhone compatible app for your product or business can go a long way to reaching Millennial users.
- Millennials’ social activity is more fragmented, but Facebook still rules. Aside from the sheer volume of time Millennials spend on social networking sites, the most differing aspect is their fragmentation: they are active on all seven of the selected major networks, scattering themselves more than any other age group. However, Facebook remains the strong leader in the competition for consumers’ attention; at least three quarters of social networking time for each age group is spent on Facebook. So marketers should strongly consider Facebook ads and promotions.
- Millennials watch tv on their on schedule, making them harder to reach with tv ads. Millennials grew up with more TV viewing options than previous generations, and as a result they have very different video consumption habits. Millennials seek, and sometimes even expect, to watch TV when and where they desire. 90 percent skip ads when watching recorded TV, so advertisers and marketing professionals should think outside the box when it comes to their ads, especially in online media. Think: sidebar promotions, popup boxes, and banners across the bottom; something that cannot be “skipped.”
- Millennials view more digital ads and are better targeted, on average. The number of gross ad impressions provides an indicator of the volume of ads to which Millennials might be exposed, but it’s also important to consider how difficult it is to target a specific audience. The reality is Millennials are much easier to target compared to other age segments, simply because they are so prevalent in the marketplace, making them an extremely desirable marketing segment. As with the previous statement, think about how you market these ads and consider thinking outside the box at bit to make certain your ads reach your audience.
In other words, Millennials are sponges
As with any marketing campaign, knowing your audience is crucial, but knowing a bit more about your audience’s habits, lifestyle, and preferences can make all the difference. If you take nothing else away from this, make it this: Millennials are digital “sponges,” soaking up all the information they can. They enjoy receiving this information via mobile devices and do not have the patience to wait for commercials. So tailor your advertising accordingly and your campaign will be more successful with the Millennial generation.
