How
to Reach Millennials with Your B2B Marketing
You see them all the time walking
around shopping malls, grocery stores, and cafés, eyes glued to their
smartphones and Starbucks coffees in hand. Millennials. According to the Pew
Research Center, millennials make up one-quarter of the nation’s population.
The
term “millennial” refers to anyone who was born between 1981 and 1996. As the
largest living generation in the United States, it’s important to develop
a B2B marketing strategy aimed specifically at this age group. That’s
because millennials are directly making and significantly influencing your
customers’ B2B buying decisions. Millennials tend to think and purchase very
differently than other generations. What works well for Baby Boomers and Gen
X-ers will not be nearly as effective with younger generations.
Successfully
marketing to millennials means understanding their values and what
factors play a role in their purchasing decisions. If millennials are a target
audience for your business, here are some ways you can adjust your marketing to
better reach this market demographic.
1. Millennials
value “authenticity” above all else
Developing relationships with
millennials is about more than having the lowest price or great customer
service. It’s about authenticity. Millennials want to feel like brands are
building a relationship with them, not just trying to make a sale. They can see
right through traditional advertising campaigns and sales pitches. In
fact, 84% of millennials do not trust traditional advertising.
Millennials
want to know the real story behind your company. They want to see what happens
behind the scenes when the camera isn’t rolling. Show them you care about more
than just dollar signs. Thirty-seven percent of millennials say they are
willing to purchase a product or service from a company that supports a cause
they believe in, even if they have to pay more. If your product is more
expensive than the competitor’s, you still have a chance at winning over
millennials if you support a great cause.
Do
you sponsor charitable events or source your products sustainably? Does your
company have an annual volunteer day? To foster loyalty to your brand, it’s
important to let your audience know how you’re having a positive impact on your
local or global community. Share how you take care of your employees or how you
donate some of your profits to a good cause.
2. Get social
Millennials
are very active on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram.
To reach this demographic, you need to engage with them on their turf. This
means you need to interact with your followers and maintain an active social
media presence. Don’t just promote your products. Be sure to add some
informative, industry-related posts to your social pages as well. This will
help establish your expertise and drive traffic to your website. And sharing
news articles from other sites will show that you have a finger on the pulse of
your industry.
Social media can also serve as a great customer service tool. When customers
share concerns or ask questions on your social media pages, it’s important that
your company responds quickly. Millennials expect transparency and quick
responses. If someone leaves a negative comment or review, don’t
ignore it. Respond as quickly as possible and try to take the conversation
offline.
Here are some other ideas for reaching this generation through social media:
-
Create customer testimonials
-
Share posts your brand is tagged in (after getting the original poster’s permission)
-
Ask loyal customers to leave a review on Facebook
-
Use polls to boost audience engagement
-
Give them a behind the scenes look at your company
-
Highlight your employees
3.
Mobile-friendly is no longer optional
Mobile
website design is another critical aspect of marketing to
millennials. Ninety-three percent of millennials own smartphones, compared
with 68% of Baby Boomers. And they are constantly using their phones to
research products and services and make purchases. If your website isn’t mobile
responsive, visitors will bounce from your site immediately. Make
sure your landing pages, emails, and website are optimized for mobile devices.
The layout should adjust to fit any size screen, whether it’s a smartphone,
tablet or desktop. Every aspect of your website should be considered from a
mobile view. Buttons and links should be larger, and have enough space
around them, to make it easy for visitors to press them without
accidentally hitting neighboring buttons.
4. Video content
is king
Since
millennials are notorious for their technology usage, it should come as no
surprise that they love to watch video content. They watch an average of 5
hours and 39 minutes of online video per week. This gives your brand the
opportunity to make real connections with millennials. By consistently
publishing video content that provides value for these consumers, you can build
relationships with these buyers and convert them into lifelong brand advocates.
For
many B2B marketers, maintaining a steady stream of video content can be a
challenge. Here are some ideas to help you develop engaging
content that speaks to millennials:
- Product
demos
- How-to
videos
- Repurpose
blog content
- Customer
testimonials
- Expert
interviews
If producing a steady
stream of video content seems like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Video
production can take up a lot of time and resources. Because there is so much
involved, many companies choose to outsource their video production. If you’re
going to outsource your video production, make sure you take the time to
screen the candidates thoroughly. Search for a vetted company with all the
latest equipment and a top talent team.Millennials are already having a major
influence on the way companies operate. If millennials are a part of your
target audience, now is the time to reconfigure your marketing to better engage
this demographic.