In today’s world, marketing to millennials is a skill all business owners need to have. Anyone who was born between 1981-1996 is considered a millennial. That is a lot of people, and more importantly, it’s a lot of people who are at the perfect age for making purchases and needing services, just like yours.

Authenticity

There is lots of diversity when it comes to millennials, so targeting them really isn’t a one-size-fits-all game. Being personable and able to personalize your marketing to target different people is key to marketing to millennials. Part of being personable is being authentic. People, especially millennials, like to know that businesses are run by other people. They typically prefer to work with small and local businesses, as opposed to large corporations. Because of this, authenticity is your best friend. Allow your marketing emails and social posts to possess a personality and an unmatched “realness”. When you are marketing to millennials, keep it really real.

Inbound Marketing

Millennials like to  support businesses that are all about improving their customers’ lives with informative, real content. Millennials want e-books, blog posts, videos, and the how-to information AKA “inbound marketing”. Millennials are 44% more likely to trust experts (even though you are strangers), so this is your chance, as the expert, to show off what you know by providing them with valuable content. They are also 247% more likely to be influenced by blogs or social networking sites. If your business doesn’t already have a blog, now is the time to start. Write a post each month pertaining to your business or industry, and give helpful tips and tricks. Keep your social posts informative, either about your business or the industry itself.

Mac Cosmetics’ YouTube page is a great example of how brands can offer their audience how-to’s from the experts. They understand that people want more information and want to be involved in the process of what their business does. Check out their YouTube channel to see a perfect example of inbound marketing. .

Platform Presence

In order to market to millennials, you need to be where they are. Millennials are known for their love of technology, as they are the original users of Facebook, Google, etc. Your job, when marketing to this group of people, is to be where it’s convenient for them. They’re not going to be searching for businesses in the yellow pages, or even in the money mailers they receive in their mailbox. Instead, they’ll be searching on social media platforms and search engines. Your business should not only have a presence on Google, Facebook, Instagram and Yelp, but your presence should be strong. You can achieve a strong presence on these platforms by posting regularly, uploading pictures, keeping your business information up-to-date and engaging with your customers there.

Millennials are a huge target audience that every business should be reaching to engage with. Whether you are targeting homeowners, renters, entrepreneurs, career-focused people and those still finding their way, millennials are your audience. Focus on having a strong online presence and engaging regularly with your followers, and your millennial-aged audience will appreciate your marketing.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!