A wise person once coined this metaphorical phrase: “Never judge a book by its cover.”
When considering the changing marketing landscape and associated behavioral habits, millennials could easily encompass this statement.
It’s no secret millennials are the power behind the majority of the social media platforms. Breaking the code on developing great content has become a mission for many businesses. Businesses need to understand the rules of engagement within the social stratosphere. Millennials like to be in the know, constantly connected, and feel empowered by social media.
They constantly are building and changing identity based on the communities, socially, they are connected to. There are a variety of social tools which have diverse uses based on a given consumer’s identity of the moment:
- Broad social tools, such as Facebook, allow millennials to be in the know
- YouTube, as an example, allows millennials to feel visible. Plus, the sharing of comments offers anonymity from conformity
- Niche tools, such as Instagram, allow for snackable content that provides bite-size access to the world
Here’s a look at marketing tactics pre and post the social media eruption.
Before the social media eruption, the goal was to produce a message to distribute via mass media such as television. It was assumed awareness would be gained, trial of product/service was hopeful, and building loyalty was assumed but not often well thought-out.
After the social-media eruption, the gal is to organically insert brand into the conversation. This presumes creating engaging content that the consumer finds of interest. Showcase the brand (company) as a person, as opposed to an entity, in order to develop a relationship with the consumer. It’s important to achieve reach via shared postings coupled with postings that are self-generated by the brand. And today, brand content needs to be seeded via a variety of platforms.
As you develop social campaigns, especially ones targeting millennials, it is best to adopt the aforementioned “post” social media explosion tactics. Key attributes to drive home within your organization are: be authentic, be transparent, and develop content that reflects the attitudes of the consumer.
Then, just maybe, you'll be able to judge that book by its cover.
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant with 20+ years experience, freelance writer and author of “Elements of Buying” (self-help advertising guide), available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed as Black Enterprise’s 2011 Top Execs in Marketing & Advertising and Black Enterprise’s 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
