You’re wrong if you don’t think you should target millennials

Millennials are far more engaged with the technology around them than their slightly older peers, almost to the point of dependency. Mobile devices, in particular, are essential to how millennials shop and buy, drawing a clear line in the sand between the generations. If you are on the fence about marketing to millennials, consider the following:

•    87% of millennials always have their smartphone at their side, day and night.
•   78% of millennials spend over 2 hours a day using their smartphones.
•   68% of millennials consider their smartphone to be a personal device.
•  56% of U.S. millennials say their phone is their most valuable shopping tool instore.
•  55% of millennials will switch brands for sales, and 63% will purchase brands that aren’t favorites if they’re on sale. 

These data points show that mobile experiences, if launched appropriately, are a critical part of the branding and marketing mix.

Make it relevant

Millennials have high expectations for your marketing message, whether it’s email, social, mobile, or more traditional means. They respond to personalized marketing that speaks to them, like cost savings, exclusivity and recommendations from family and friends. More than any other demographic, millennials are willing to dig for savings, coupons and other special offers and when they are offered deals, they act fast.

Impulse buys, as they are commonly known, have increased dramatically among Millennials, indicating that if relevant and timely offers align with their interests, the chance for converting that interest into a sale increases dramatically. Brands that leverage mobile will benefit from the impulse buy event.

A report summary from eMarketer shows that “42% of US Millennials had made an impulse purchase in the past four weeks. However, Generation Xers and baby boomers followed more closely behind: 40% of respondents in Gen X and 39% baby boomers reported making impulse purchases, too.”

Mobile and the path-to-purchase

Mobile is a dominant force during the millennial shopping experience. According to recent research it was determined that 86% of consumers in the U.S. say they value brands that are useful over brands that are interesting. So don’t push out a bunch of noise to your consumers that are neither personalized nor relevant to them. You run the risk of losing them if you aren’t offering them any value for participating and following your brand.

What brands might find interesting is that “nearly one-quarter of millennials say they are willing to pay a higher price to be the first to have a new product.” This shows that millennials want to be at the head of the curve, and they are willing to pay for the privilege. Marketing to them first is a smart business move.

No distinction between mobile and desktop

Millennials draw no practical distinction between online and offline. Millennials being constantly connected to their smartphones means they no longer see a difference between “online” and “offline.” Technology has become an integral part of their lives, and it is how they interact with and experience brands. They don’t use media in silos. Rather, they use all of the tools at their fingertips at any given time, regardless of the device or platform. Take that into consideration when planning your mobile marketing campaigns.

Data shows that millennials should always be the “first to know about a new product”. Mobile and social media marketing is important so that consumers can interact with brands, share information about products and services, and more.