Millennials. You’ve probably heard of that term before when it comes to categorising a certain generation. In fact, they’re the largest living generation that there is. So, if you’re running any kind of business, you probably want to capitalise on this and tailor some of your marketing towards them. But what exactly is a millennial, and how can you market your business, product, or service in a way that will entice them? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to be looking at today! You may have heard that it’s trickier to market to this generation with traditional marketing techniques. They’ve seen it all before, and need something fresher to part with their cash. So we’ve put together some of our best marketing to millennials UK tips that we think small businesses can easily implement to win some of those millennials over. Want to know more? Keep on reading…

What is a millennial?

There’s a bit of debate out there about what a millennial actually is, and when their birthdates are. Different organisations and people put the generation as starting from anywhere between 1977 and 1982, and ending anywhere between 1994 and 2004. This is a pretty big difference, showing just how diverse and vast this generation is. Whatever constitutes a millennial, the general consensus is that they’re people ranging in age from their 20s to their late 30s and early 40s. They grew up before the internet was hugely mainstream, but they’re the first generation that truly got to grips with it, meaning that they’re digitally-savvy and have an eye for clever marketing- as well as what’s not so clever!

Millennials have had somewhat of a bad press over the years. They’ve been branded as lazy, entitled, and self-absorbed. But, they’re also an open-minded, well-educated generation that tends to be far more accepting of others and differences than their predecessors. Marketing to millennials is tricky, not least because they’re such a wide-ranging group. What one millennial likes and feels are important will differ wildly from the next. For example, around 25% of millennials are parents, while some are still interested in the typical likes of teenagers. For this reason, it can be easy to just give up in your marketing efforts and ignore them completely.

But, if you can get marketing to millennials right, the rewards can be rich. Being the largest living generation, there’s a lot of money to be made from them, especially as a small business. But just how can you do that? Here are some of our best tips…

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Marketing to Millennials UK Tips

Understanding your millennial customers and what works for them is a process. It can take time and effort to get right. But seriously trust us, you don’t want to lose out on this market. As a small business, getting your name out there can seem tough at the best of times, not least in the face of a notoriously tricky market to crack. However, these tips should help get you started and give you some inspiration to consider your marketing strategy when it comes to this tricky generation!

You need to really stand out

When it comes to marketing for millennials, they have seen it all before. They’ve grown up with the rise of digital marketing, so they know every trick in the book. So, in order for your marketing to be successful, your business needs to really stand out from the crowd. Why should they purchase your product over the thousands of similar things out there? Millennials are sceptical about marketing gimmicks. They want actual substance to be behind the companies that they choose to purchase from. So, while you think that your product offers something worthwhile, also think about your wider business.

What does your business stand for? As we mentioned before, millennials are open-minded and supportive. So, they’re more likely to purchase from a company that believes in the same things that they do. And, the causes that this group tends to support are wide-ranging, so there are lots of choices. From animal welfare to anti-racism movements, millennials like businesses to have a cause behind them.

It’s no secret that we strongly believe in the power of CSR and the good it can do for your business. So, if you’re not getting out there and visibly and vocally supporting a worthwhile cause, what are you doing? This could involve anything from donating a percentage of your profits to a charity, to volunteering your time in the community. Whatever it is, don’t forget to shout about it on your website and social media so everyone knows that you’re a business with a conscience and a heart.

This is something that actually does set you out from the crowd and allows your business to appeal to millennials who are very conscious about ethics and supporting various causes. Showing that you care about the wider world beyond just making a profit gives your business that ethical slant that many millennials look for, so it’s a win-win situation. You get to give back and tailor your marketing for millennials at the same time.

Show them why you’re good

When it comes to marketing to millennials UK, we’ve already mentioned their scepticism when it comes to more standard, traditional advertising. They truly don’t trust it or believe in its message most of the time. When you’re running a small business, the temptation with marketing is often to just put some ads out there and hope for the best. While this may bring you some level of success, it’s not going to be enough when marketing to millennials. This is exactly why you need to demonstrate that your product really does what you’re saying it does.

Have you heard of the term ‘social proof”? This is an incredibly important aspect of marketing to millennials UK. According to SproutSocial, “social proof is the concept that people will follow the actions of the masses. The idea is that since so many other people behave in a certain way, it must be the correct behaviour.” It’s not a new term, having been coined in the 1980s, but it’s more important today than it ever has been.

So, how can you as a small business deliver the social proof that’s needed when marketing to millennials? Well, there are several relatively easy ways to do it! Firstly, do you share reviews from your customers on your website or social media? If not, start- NOW! Make sure the reviews are genuine and include a name and photo if you can to make them seem that bit more authentic. If millennials can see that others like what you do, even if it’s on social media, they’re more likely to actually believe in what you offer. Struggling to get good quality reviews from your customers? just drop them an email and ask for one! You could even offer an incentive such as 10% off their next purchase. The number of reviews you’re getting in should soon rise just from this simple step!

Another great way to demonstrate social proof when marketing to millennials UK is by using case studies, again on your website and social media. It doesn’t matter what your small business does, there’s a case study to be made from it. In the case study, demonstrate what you did or sold, how the customer uses it, and the great results they have gained. Make sure to use plenty of images where possible and always share it on social media.

Millennials do their research, so make sure you’re out there

When marketing to millennials UK, it’s important to remember that they are the first generation to truly become obsessed with social media, blogs, and building online communities. Many of them grew up with the internet in some form, and others were early adopters in adulthood. This means that they have the world at their fingertips, and they tend to utilise it more than older generations. So, they really do their research when it comes to deciding what to buy. In some ways, this is great- if you have plenty of positive online presence. However, if your online presence is negative or there just isn’t much out there, it’s going to do your small business no favours.

So, how can you get your business out there online in a positive manner? There are a few ways that you can do it. Firslty, make sure that you have the basics. A good website that looks modern and functions well. Social media profiles that you update regularly with quality content. A Google My Business profile to allow easy access to information about your business. And, reviews collected somewhere online, whether this is Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, or somewhere else.

Then, you can think about how to get your name out there even more. Having a blog is probably the number one way you can do this. On the blog, write about your products within quality content such as case studies and testimonials. But, also make sure you’re writing about non-direct sales content too, as millennials will see straight through anything that’s obviously trying to sell. You may also want to consider blogger outreach. This involves sending your product to bloggers who will then write about it on their blogs, giving you more of that all-important exposure for millennials to find when they’re researching!

Conclusion

So, there we have it! Three top tips that any small business should be able to utilise when it comes to marketing to millennials UK. It’s important to remember that marketing to millennials will probably require a different approach compared to marketing to other generations, but it doesn’t have to be a total headache. There are plenty of stats and tips out there that can give you more of an insight into millennials and what they want on the whole that can be very useful when it comes to creating an action plan.

Don’t be afraid of trial and error! And remember that it’s impossible for your business to appeal to every single millennial out there. The generation is just too broad. Instead, find your niche and focus on that, and you’re sure to reap the rewards of marketing to this all-important set of people!

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