 12 min. read
Millennials are a different market game altogether – they don’t seem to respond to
traditional marketing methods and strategies that have always worked for the Baby
Boomers and Generation X markets.
Therefore, a lot of businesses are at a loss on how to effectively target and market this
generation. After all, millennials are bringing in trends unlike any other, and this is
changing the landscape drastically.
It may be a different approach, but that doesn’t mean that appealing to millennials is a
lot more difficult or requires you to allocate more of your budget into your marketing
strategy – in fact, adapting to the way millennials think and act may even result for a
better process for your business.
So how do you do it?

Don’t have time to read the entire post?

We’ve created a simple and easy-to-follow checklist that includes all the main points of
the post to help you save time and get started on your millennial strategy right away.
Free Downloadable Bonus
Download your own checklist and start converting millennials.

1. Don’t sell to them

You might be thinking now “Didn’t I read this article to know how to sell to millennials?
Why is it now telling me not to?”, but what this really means is that you shouldn’t
become too sales-y with millennials – it makes them turn their heads away.
Gone are the days when a simple “Buy Now!” sales pitch worked for the market.
They’ve grown up with those types of ad continually bombarded in their senses, and
they’re tired of it.
Don’t sell to them outright. You need to convince them why, in a way that benefits them
greatly, and without looking like they were talking to a car salesman who’s constantly
talking about how they should buy a car in that moment or watching a blatant product
placement from their favorite series.
If your products are screaming for obvious sales attention, you’re bound to attract only
deaf ears.
For example, Etude House Global’s posts attempt to sell to their target market (primarily
millennial females who are Korean makeup and skincare enthusiasts) by providing them
with the benefits and use of their products in their social media posts.
The “Any Cushion Color Corrector” and “Play 101 Stick Color Contour Duo” post
presents these products with both aesthetic appeal and benefit-laden information. This
is a way for them to drive sales without directly saying “Buy them now” anywhere in the
post.
2. Match how millennials communicate
Skip the TV and radio – millennials hardly pay attention or even use those anymore.
They’re more than likely tuned into their phones or devices, browsing the Internet for
hours on end, and that’s your best avenue for reaching them. After all, millennials grew
up in the age of websites and social networking – from MySpace and AOL
to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, online shops, etc.
When communicating with other people, The Center for Generational Kinetics found
that millennials prefer these methods (in order of importance):
 Text and IM apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger;

 Email, with the subject line being a highly important aspect;

 Social media;

 Phone calls; and

 In person
These methods should be kept in mind when directly communicating with your
millennial market, especially when it comes to them seeking customer support.
Keep in mind that it’s best to keep multiple ways of contacting your business as well –
not all customers use a single way and some might prefer one method over the other,
even if it is the less popular or less-used one. There are different benefits per method of
communication that will try to take advantage of in specific circumstances.
For general lines of questions or quick inquiries, keep your WhatsApp, Viber or
Facebook Messenger lines open. You can also utilize social media for this, as well as
the private message options that can be found on various platforms such as Instagram
and Twitter.
Emails and phone calls are reserved for more lengthy transactions, business-related
matters, longer inquiries (such as reporting or detailing problems) or those concerning
personal information.
In-person inquiries are mostly used as a last resort by millennials, and would most likely
apply to those who are in the vicinity to make the effort.
3. Be informative, but be quick
Millennials are curious, yes, but they are also quite busy and always shifting from one
activity to another. Holding them longer than they want to will bore them and will render
your sales pitch unimportant for them.
This is not to say, however, that they are attention-deficit – after all, this is the
generation that will binge-watch multiple seasons of The Walking Dead in a few days’
time, which means they’ll only pay attention to what they want to, in the right medium.
They’ll also fact-check what you’re offering them regardless of what you tell them, so it’s
almost a wasted effort trying to explain everything rather than letting them have the
natural curiosity to explore. Your goal is to convince them why they need your product in
the least amount of time it takes, but leave out the heavier, more detailed information so
you don’t waste your time, and theirs.
Strike the balance between telling them what they want or need to know and keeping
your speech short. The most important benefit or factor they can derive from your
product or service is often a great point to start with, along with one or two
supplementary benefits. Don’t go into a whole spiel about your product unless you’re
sure they’re more than ready to listen until the end.
For example, this ad by AirBNB gives one important benefit for their services: the sense
of belongingness anywhere around the world. Travelers, especially the millennials, want
to feel comfortable and at ease with the surroundings they are in, especially in foreign
places, which AirBNB promises they will get.
Best of all, they already captured attention within the combination of a phrase and a
supplementary sentence, and would only detail more about what they are offering if the
audience clicks the button – which ensures them that whoever is reading is interested in
learning more.

Convert abandoning visitors into subscribers and customers? Yes, it’s possible. Here’s
how Livingshop (Ecommerce) collected 35,000 email subscribers. Learn more
4. Don’t try to dupe them
Again, millennials have a great tendency to fact-check, whether you want them to or
not. They’ll scour the Internet to learn more about what you are trying to sell to them so
they aren’t caught in any surprises that they might not like – and if they are, millennials
are more than willing to spread the word about it.
For example, a millennial checking out an online clothing business would refer to the
comments, reviews, and even ask their peers before they make any transactions or
purchases.
Don’t try too hard to relate to them – they can figure it out. Millennials want real, down-
to-earth people who can truly connect with them and give them the truth.
In short, they want authenticity to counteract their skepticism. Be consistent and
transparent with whatever you tell them about your goods or services, and if their fact-
checking reveals that you were right, they will be more eager to listen the next time.
Starbucks is a good example of this. When inquired, they are willing to educate their
audience on the composition of their drinks to answer their questions – which is useful
not only to the person who asked but to anyone who reads about the information the
next time they might order something similar.
5. Appeal to their emotions
If you have been observing things that millennials have trended over the years in social
media, you’ll see how many of these are because millennials felt strongly about them.
A lot of things are a big deal for millennials – from companies launching
environmentally-affective projects, to social issues that they feel will affect their futures.
Some are even designed just to let them have a good time or feel good. Either way,
their emotions are one of the ruling factors for their engagement tendencies.
Make them laugh, make them cry, give them something that will have an impact on their
beliefs and their world.
A good example is Dove’s “Choose Beauty” campaign – the video of the campaign
became a viral hit after people are left with different emotions while watching women
make a choice. People left and right are sharing to express their opinions on the impact
and significance of the campaign on women empowerment.

Instead of thinking of ways how your brand can come up with some convoluted
advocacy that will sound and feel dubious (see point 4), think of an advocacy that you
can see your company doing that matters to millennials, and just subtly let them know
that you can help them fight for their cause.
If advocacies are not doable for you, just take the backseat. Joke around with your
millennial market. Make memes. Give them stories that will touch their hearts. And
remember that you can’t try too hard to relate to them; they’ll know.

6. Act like a counselor

Impressing millennials requires you to act as the guiding point in regards to both your
business and how it relates to their lives. They want to know that you can hear them,
you can acknowledge their problems, and solve it for them.
Acting like an expert who has the solutions to their problems will let you develop a
relationship with them, and ultimately makes you a trustworthy business in their
judgment.
Research what kinds of problems you can address firsthand, then create content about
it. Always be ready to answer when they are asking you. Open their eyes to problems
they never knew they had and present your solution afterwards.
These methods allow you to establish yourself as a person they can approach when
they are confused and will let them remember you more.
Many makeup companies, such as Maybelline, create content based around helping
their niche with makeup-related problems – this one about contouring based on face
shape being a prime example. This can be used to your leverage as well.
A page dedicated to selling clothes online can enumerate tips on what clothes to pair
with each other, or how certain articles of clothing can be styled various ways for
different occasions.
This can help you both provide expert advice to your millennial audience and sell to
them – after all, you’ve shown how your products can be used and how effective your
methods are, which is what we pointed out at the first tip.
7. Never underestimate them
The sad reality about millennials is that they’re always stereotyped. They have short
attention spans, are always glued to their phones, entitled, etc.
Removing your preconceived notion of millennial traits may be your greatest tickets to
having a successful following. Learn to understand why millennials seem the way they
are, and these discoveries will help you through your marketing strategy. In fact,
understanding the millennial mindset is what completed this guide!
With millennials quickly entering the workforce, you may have some under your wing as
well. Ask them what ways appeal to them, and coordinate with it accordingly. After all,
they are the next generation who are already making huge impacts with the purchasing
market and will continue to do so for the next years.
They are your next big market!
The takeaway
Millennials are different from the kind of market that comprises Baby Boomers and the
Generation X, and that’s okay – they’re bringing in new trends that will keep your
business in the loop if you play your cards right.
If you’re apprehensive or confused about how to get them to want to purchase from you,
remember that you just need to be authentic, relatable, and easy to reach. Then you’ll
have them.