MARKETINGMILLENNIALS

marketing tips as told by millennialsBY SMARTER SEARCHES

TO

© 2016 Smarter SearchesAll Rights Reserved

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Marketing to millennials can be rough. Let's faceit, most people have to Google what they're

saying to figure out what they're actually saying.The language barrier alone makes it hard toeffectively target this influential audience.

If you're struggling to win the hearts ofmillennials with your previous marketing efforts,keep reading! We've got you covered with this

comprehensive guide.

THINGS MILLENNIALS SAY(that no one else understands)

Table of Contents1. About the Authors + Why This e-Book.2. Who Are Millennials?3. Why Market to Millennials?4. Marketing to Millennials 1015. Brand Development6. Branding + Social Media 1017. Quality Social Media Engagement8. Mobile Friendly + Mobile Marketing9. The Mobile-Friendly Effect10. Millennials + Mobile + Social: Important Statistics11. Your Social Media Strategy12. Social Media Best Practices 13. Engaging Your Target Audience14. Creating Sharable Content15. Case Study: Sharable Content16. Real-Time Marketing17. Case Study: Real-Time Marketing18. Social Summary: 4 Strategies You Can Do Right Now19. Sources

About the Author:Nada AlkadiNada jumped into the field of DigitalMarketing fresh out of college and hassince further immersed herself in theever-evolving world of all things digital.At the younger end of the millennialspectrum, social media has always beena passionate part of Nada's life; you namethe social platform, and she's hadan active and robust account.

Why This e-Book?

As the Social Media Analyst for Smarter Searches, Nada manages multiplesocial accounts for a variety of clients (as well as in-house campaigns), andincludes, but is not limited to: brand-specific social media campaignstrategies and strategic, meaningful social postings. When it comes tosocial media in general, she wholeheartedly believes that in today'smarketplace, it is a critical element of business survival because throughmeaningful engagement, it fosters the much needed human connectionbetween businesses and clients.

As millennials who work in the marketing field, the team at SmarterSearches wants to share their unique and personal insights, as well asindustry-based studies and statistical information that show high efficacyrates. Armed with this information and helpful tips, we aim to help you gain amore efficient, engaged, and meaningful social media marketing strategy.

1.

Contributed, Designed, Edited by:Briana Harricharan SinghOn the opposite spectrum, Briana is an oldermillennial who, in college, was introduced to theearliest days of social media. As the Director ofUser Experience and Lead Designer, Brianaworks on a variety of design, content, and socialmedia related tasks for Smarter Searches andtheir clients.

Who are Millennials?Millennials are people, consumers, and thedemographic group born following Generation X. Whileno specific date ranges exist, millennials are typicallydiscussed as those born between the early 1980’s to theearly 2000’s. Millennials tend to stray from traditionalvalues, making them very different than their precedinggenerations.

Millennials Are:1. Highly Educated2. Career Driven3. Politically Progressive4. Brand Loyal5. NOT Influenced byTraditional Advertising

*Based on a partnered study between Forbes and EliteDaily, the voice of Generation Y.2.

*

Why Market to Millennials?

3.

According to Forbes, "there are 80 million millennials inAmerica alone and they represent 1/4th of the entirepopulation, with $200 billion in annual buying power."Furthermore, they "have a lot of influence over oldergenerations and are trendsetters across all industriesfrom fashion to food (1)."

With that much market influence, it’s more important thanever to understand how to advertise to and connect withthis group, especially since traditional offline marketingefforts (T.V., radio, etc.) have proven ineffective at gainingtheir attention.

Luckily, there are marketing strategies that do work:digital (or online) marketing and social media! However,in order to connect with these audiences and outshinethe competition, these strategies must be executedproperly and honestly! The payoff: When appropriatelymarketed to, millennials develop deep brand loyaltythat is shared with and grown amongst peers -- andbeyond!

Marketing to Millennials 101

4.

When marketing to millennials, it's importantto understand who they are and what theyvalue.

#1: Are Non-TraditionalMillennials tend to stray from the traditional valuesof their preceding generations, includingtraditional media (i.e. T.V. and radio) andadvertising methods.

#2: Want Authenticity and Trust

#3: Develop Brand Loyalty...EventuallyMillennials look for companies that provide usefulinformation, and they develop strong brand loyaltywhen presented with quality products and activebrand engagement.

Millennials are less trusting of traditionalmarketing efforts and rely on authenticity, trust,reviews, blogs, and friends to make purchasingdecisions.

Millennials:

Brand Development

5.

A "brand" is simply "the non-generic name for a product thattells us the source of the product," or “the intangible sum of aproduct’s attributes” (2). However, when you create a specificperception in customers’ minds, concerning the attributesand qualities of a company's product(s) or service(s),something bigger -- and possibly emotional -- emerges. It'swhat Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, describes when hesays: "your brand is what people say about {your company}when you're not in the room." If it isn't positive, find a way tochange that perception.

This is when the consumer simply knows the brand existsand nothing more. Period. It's the starting point for brandrecognition.

Recognition is achieved when the consumer correctlyidentifies or understands a company's product(s) and/orservice(s), upon viewing some part of their advertisingcampaign.

To develop brand loyalty, the brand itself must bedeveloped for maximum recognition.

#1: Understand Your Brand

#2: Build Brand Awareness

#3: Create Brand Recognition

Branding + Social Media 101

6.

DEFINE YOUR VOICE:What does your brand's "voice" sound like and howdoes it support your brand? Is it consistent throughoutyour marketing and social media efforts? It should be!

SUPPORT YOUR BRAND'S IDEALS & IDENTITY:Do your posts support your brand's ideals and identity?They should!

REMAIN RELEVANT:Are your social media posts relevant to your brand andyour consumers' wants and needs? They should be!

REMAIN CONSISTENT:Do your social media posts create and support brandcohesion? They should! Being consistent helps buildconsumer trust and loyalty across all marketing channels-- whether online or offline.

When developing and maintaing your brand, consistency is vital. Thismeans your company's voice, look, and feel must remain cohesive,relevant, and true across all channels -- whether they're social or not.Additionally, what you do, say, and post must resonate strongly withyour audience. Sound impossible? It's not. Follow these tips to helpsocial media be a beneficial extension of your brand -- one thatpeople fall in love with:

Quality Social Media Engagment

7.

The #1 way to market to millennials is to meet them where theyspend their time: social media. That's why a specific, honest, andquality social media strategy isn't optional -- it's paramount. Here'swhat you need to create quality social media engagement...andeffectively reach the millennial market:

An eager readiness to "meet" your audienceonline. Help customers understand your business,its goals, and your aspirations. Communicate withthem: share news, respond to comments/reviews,etc.

Shareable content. Create and share content thatyour audience wants to read. It should educate,entertain, and add value to their experience, but thiscontent must also be in-line with your brand.

A social strategy that effectively reaches yourtarget audience. This plan includes the what,where, when, and why to post content.

A basic (or deep) knowledge of your targetaudience. Understand their language, behaviors,interests, desires, and more to catch their attentionand maintain it!

Mobile-Friendly + Mobile Marketing

8.

According to 2015 Pew Research Center studies, 86% of millennialsown smartphones, while 92% of all U.S. adults own some kind ofmobile phone (3). For these users, their mobile device is atheoretical "extension of their own hand," as well as the mostfrequently used avenue for search and engagement between usersand companies. Therefore, competitive brands in search ofconnecting with this massive demographic must support, enhance,and focus on mobile marketing with:

Mobile-Friendly Websites: Websites must display properly on hand-held devices(smartphones and tablets). Without a responsivedesign, a website's poor "mobile-friendliness" cannegatively affect its placement in mobile searchrankings.

Mobile Ads:88% of consumers use smartphones to search forlocal information, This high volume helps mobile adsreach millions of potential customers/leads, daily (4).

Social Media:Compared to other demographics, millennials are morelikely to engage with a brand's social account througha mobile device. These actions can lead a mobile userto visit the company's website or complete a desiredaction (make a purchase, fill out a form, etc.).

The Mobile-Friendly Effect

9.

Friendly:67% of mobileusers aremore likelyto buy aproduct or usea service if thesite is well-designed andmobileresponsive.

Unfriendly: 61% of mobileusers are morelikely to leave asite when theydon't quicklysee whatthey're lookingfor, don't trustthe validity ofthe site, or can'taccessinformation.

A website's "mobile friendliness" can affect its mobilesearch rankings, but it can also either entice or drive awaypotential customers and leads. If you want millennials orany other demographic to visit your website, make sure it'smobile-friendly and responsive using Google's MobileFriendly Test. Don't believe us? Check out these stats,which are based on 2012 mobile user findings (5):

72%Friendly:74% of mobileusers are morelikely to returnto a site in thefuture if itworks well ontheir mobilephone.

67% 74% 61%Friendly:72% of mobileusers say it'simportant tothem that awebsite ismobile-friendly.

Millennials + Mobile + Social:

10.

More than 85% of millennials in the U.S. own smartphones (6).Millennials are 56% more likely to discover marketing contenton social networks than through search engines or email (7). 5 out of 6 millennials connect with companies on socialmedia (7).U.S. millennials touch their smartphones at least 45 times aday (7).2014 studies on social network use for American, youngadults ages 18-29 is as follows: 87% use Facebook, 53% useInstagram, 37% use Twitter, 34% use Pinterest, and 23% useLinkedIn (8).88% of millennials get their news via Facebook (9).46% of millennials count on social media when buying online,55% share bad experiences online, and 51% say socialopinions influence their purchasing decisions (10).In 2015, 80% of marketers indicated that their social mediaefforts increased traffic (11).Instagram use among millennials has grown tremendously(8), and when compared to other social networks, has thehighest per-follower brand engagement rate at 4.21% (11),

Important Statistics

Your Social Media Strategy

11.

Simply having social media accounts -- with random, sporadic postings --doesn't effectively attract today's online users, especially millennials. The key tobuilding brand loyalty and increasing conversions (i.e., when an online visitormakes a purchase or fills out a desired form) is to create and implement a well-designed social media strategy. Your strategy should, at minimum, considerthese five basic steps:

BRAND DEFINITION AND COHESION:What does your brand "look" like? Does your onlinepresence reflect this message? Your website, social mediasites, and everything you post should look cohesive and beon par with your brand.

DEFINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE:Doing this will help you figure out where to post and whichkind of content will help solve your potential customers'problems and queries.

CHOOSE YOUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS:Pick the 2-3 social platforms that your target audiencefrequents. Research when they're active and what theyshare.

AUDIT YOUR SOCIAL ACCOUNTS:Optimize your accounts, clear out anything that's not on-brand, respond to questions, and more.

CREATE AND SCHEDULE QUALITY CONTENT:Create quality, on-brand content (website details, blogs,etc.) Schedule posts using social media scheduling tools(e.g., Hootsuite).

Social Media Best Practices

12.

Know your social media platform and use it wisely. For optimal results,understand what makes each platform different. Use this knowledgeto post the right content at the right time. Differences aside, there aresome general do's and don'ts regarding social media practices:

DO:Create content people want to share with friends.Post content that is RELEVANT to your brand.Provide meaningful, useful, substantial posts.Engage with your following.Be personal, not sterile.Be professional.Reply to comments in a timely manner.Limit promotional posts. Think 1 sales post for every 10content-related posts.Keep up with trends, especially ones in-line with yourbusiness.Understand which content is most wanted by your targetaudience and most appropriate for each social platform.

DON'T:Post just for the sake of posting. Millennials see throughempty posts, like: "Have a great Monday."Be overly salesy or self-promotional. Exception: whenyou're actually running a sale. Only talk about your brand. Instead, listen to your targetmarket and provide the content they actually want.

Engaging Your Target Audience

13.

The perfect opportunity to connect with and build a relationship with youraudience is to socialize with them on social media. Don't post somethingamazing and then disappear from the conversation. Be a part of the discussion,provide details, exchange ideas, etc.

How to Connect with Your Target Audience:

Reply Directly To People: For Twitter or Instagram, use the@ feature. For Facebook, type and select their name. Thesefeatures notify the recipient and are important whenresponding to both positive and negative comments.

Address Feedback: Both positive and negative feedbackrequires immediate attention. Graciously thank positivefeedback. For negative feedback, do your best to resolvethe conflict and keep the customer. Don't forget to ask forfeedback.

Remember: An engaging conversation begins withengaging content!

Humanize Your Brand: Replying to comments/feedbackand creating fun opportunities gives you, the businessowner, a chance to show your audience the core of yourbusiness -- the people and customer service behind theproducts/services. Be kind, sound human, andwhen appropriate, be witty.

Creating Sharable Content

14.

Shareable content is one of the best ways to gain exposure, new followers, andFREE word-of-mouth marketing. When someone shares content, millennialsand other demographics alike trust that it's content worth reading. The sharerhas effectively given your content their seal of approval and a huge boost insocial media credibility. Highly shareable content tends to add value to theuser's social experience.

Higly Shareable Content Contains At Least One:

VISUALS: Good, original, and interesting photography orgraphics tell a story and capture attention. Tip: Captionshelp.

FUNNY MEMES: Millennials love funny or relatablememes, and they'll eagerly share them with friends.Tip: A hearty "LOL" goes a long way.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES: When done right, these arehighly shared/retweeted posts. Tip: Try to use quotesthat aren't overused or cheesy.

HELPFUL TIPS / LIFE HACKS: Millennials love a good lifehack almost as much as they love instant gratification.Tip: Post a useful and quick "how to" and you'll win themover with your value-adding post.

LISTS: No one loves a "Top 5..." list more than a millennial.Tip: Think BuzzFeed.

Case Study: Sharable Content

15.

Nasty Gal (nastygal.com) is an e-commerce business thateffectively uses social media to resonate with millennials. Here's anexample of one of their visual, quote-style posts that received tonsof shares and engagement:

1. On brand2. Visually appealing3. Relevant to the business4. Relatable (esp. for millennials)5. Captures a desirable lifestyle

There's no magic formula, but this comes pretty close.

WHY IT WORKS / THIS POST IS:

Real-Time Marketing

16.

WITH CAUTION: Not every trending topic or hashtag willalign with your brand. Research the topic and make sureyou know what the hashtag means. Several brands havefound themselves in trouble after jumping on a trendingtopic that they poorly understood or didn't realize was flatout inappropriate for their business.

SELECTIVELY: Choose only the trending topics andhashtags that are on-brand AND relevant to yourbusiness. Jumping on every trending topic or usingirrelevant hashtags will backfire and people will notice.

WITH MEANING: Trends are great because they alreadyhave tons of exposure. When you join the conversation ina meaningful way, it can open your business to a wider,more appreciative audience.

CREATIVELY: Find your own voice. Try to post a freshidea/take/spin/analogy on the trending topic. Try to tiein some humor (if appropriate). Finally, don't look likeyou're trying too hard--make your efforts look easy.

When do we want it? #NOW. Real-time marketing (RTM) is amarketing strategy that responds to currently-happening stories inpop culture, news, or world events. IF done effectively, RTM can bethe key to a millennial's heart. TRUST US, we love this stuff.

HOW TO APPROACH RTM:

Case Study: Real-Time Marketing

17.

The most iconic example of effective real-time marketing is Oreo,circa 2013, during the Superbowl blackout. The genius that emerged:

1. FUNNY2. True to the brand3. Relevant to the business and the current event4. Quickly and easily conveys the message5. Simple, yet visually appealing

WHY IT WORKS / THIS POST IS:

RTM could be your secret weapon, if well executed.

Social Summary:4 Strategies You Can Do Right Now

18.

RESEARCH YOUR COMPETITION:Look at what your competition is doing on social media.Try to gain a sense of what's working (or not), what inspiresyou, and what creates engagement.

PLAN YOUR POSTS:Plan and write eight great posts. For the next two weeks,post four per week and experiment with different postingtimes to find the perfect schedule for your audience.Hootsuite is a great multi-platform scheduling tool.

GET VISUAL:Visual posts get more attention and traction. Create anonline account with Canva. This user-friendly program willbe your new favorite resource for creating customized,visual social media posts.

ASK FOR HELP:If you're overwhelmed with running your business orjust want someone to kill it on social media, give us ashout or email Nada at Nada@smartersearches.com.#Shamelessplug

Sources

19.

1. New Findings About Millennials - Forbeswww.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/#2715e4857a0b4287193a28a82. What Is A Brand Anyway? - Forbes www.forbes.com/sites/jerrymclaughlin/2011/12/21/what-is-a-brand-anyway/#3da049142aa43. Technology and Device Ownership: 2015 - Pew Research Centerwww.pewinternet.org/2015/10/29/technology-device-ownership-2015/4. Local Searches Lead 50% of Mobile Users to Visit Stores - Search EngineWatchsearchenginewatch.com/sew/study/2343577/google-local-searches-lead-50-of-mobile-users-to-visit-stores-study5. 72% of Consumers Want Mobile-Friendly Sites - Search Engine Watchsearchenginewatch.com/sew/study/2208496/72-of-consumers-want-mobilefriendly-sites-google-research6. Mobile Millennials: Over 85% of Generation Y Owns Smartphones - Nielsenwww.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/mobile-millennials-over-85-percent-of-generation-y-owns-smartphones.html7. Study Shows Millennials 56% More Likely to Find Marketing Content viaSocial Media www.sdl.com/about/news-media/press/2014/new-sdl-study-shows-millenials-are-more-likely-to-marketing-content-on-social-media.html8. Demographics of Key Social Networking Platforms - Pew Research Centerwww.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/9. How Millennials Use and Control Social Media - American Press Institutewww.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/millennials-social-media/10. Social Media and the Rise of Millennials - Social Times:htwww.adweek.com/socialtimes/rise-millennials/49488411. Ten Social Media Stats You Might Not Know - Business to Communityhttp://www.business2community.com/social-media/10-social-media-stats-you-might-not-know-but-should-01245250#1mtzi50UOKY5SdcB.97

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