Millennials, the generation that everybody talks about at the moment. Millennials are the ones born after 1980 all the way to the 2000’s. The oldest Millennials are in their early thirties today.
This generation is characterized by being the digital generation. Millennials build their social circles online around their preferences, regardless if they are video games, sports, or fashion.
Even though there are TED talks, articles, and YouTube videos comparing past generations like the baby boomers (1940’s to 60s) and genX (1960’s to 80s) to millennials, this article focuses on another angle of the buzz around this generation. Mainly, the attention around this topic is because the first millennials have made the transition to adulthood. In a few years, this generation will make up 75% of the workforce in the United States, according to Brookings data.
Therefore, many organizations are intensifying their marketing efforts to millennials. Mailboxes have hundreds of invitations to webinars, videos, articles, and classes to learn about strategies to “reach” this generation.
At the same time that is important to learn about millennials, and their preferences, valuable content is being left behind.
The problem
Since Millennials are characterized by socializing through social media and growing up when technology was evolving more than ever, everyone is focusing on expanding their online presence but not on offering in-depth content.
There are strategies to create a blog, there are websites to buy Instagram or Twitter followers, but there is not much profundity in most of what is out there for the millennials.
Social media users are increasingly receiving invitations and advertisements talking about the same things in the shortest way possible, with the best visual effects, and promising more faster results than ever before. But not much content with emotions, wisdom, and purpose.
People are focusing more on how to reach the audience than on the quality of what they produce.
Be different and have millennials joining you
Communication strategies and social media marketing are important today. However, millennials are the most liberal of all generations. Millennials join movements with hashtags and focus on the inclusion of many minority groups. Concentrate on offering value to millennials, and not just on having a brand name on every possible app.
If you focus more on sharing real value and enrich millennials’ lives, you might not have many followers at first. But the few you gather will be loyal and endorse your ideas. Then, if you keep consistently offering helpful wisdom, with time, you can reach the thousands that you would reach on social media. However, you will not be just reaching them. You will be helping and guiding them.
It is not glamorous to spend a lot of time creating something and having just a few readers, viewers, or likes. However, real success is not an overnight viral tweet. It is consistent work to add to the life of others.
If you concentrate on not just reaching the Millennials but on sharing real value, with time, you will have built something not just for this generation but for everyone that comes after.
Think past the near future.
