As Millennials have come of age, entered the workforce, and become full-fledged consumers and working adults, businesses have tried to target them as potential customers through advertising. The younger generation, however, is very different from previous ones from a marketing perspective.

Millennials, though eager to consume goods and services, are more tech-savvy and have grown up in a world of online advertising, making them less susceptible to traditional advertisements. Here are some great ways for your business to gain traction with younger customers online and connect with the growing Millennial consumer base.

Use Social Media and Content Marketing

Most Millennials are too used to ads displayed on web pages to really take notice of them. If you want to get younger customers to pay attention to your products, social media and content marketing are the ways to go. Social media marketing is powerful both because of how much use social media sites get across the board, and because of the social proof it offers potential customers regarding a product or service. Content marketing, on the other hand, feeds younger buyers’ need for information about a product and its benefits.
 
Here’s an example of Cheerios trying to follow in Starbucks footprint, a leader in millennial marketing.
 

 
Video marketing is particularly powerful, as it can effectively provide a free preview of something a person might buy in the future. Since Millennials love social media and consume immense amounts of multimedia content, these are the places you should be focusing your marketing efforts for this demographic.

Maintain a Stellar Online Reputation

Having grown up in a world of online scams and over-hyped products, one of the first things more savvy younger buyers will do when researching a product or service is perform a Google search for it. If that search turns up bad reviews or negative feedback, you’ve probably just lost a customer. Make sure you are doing everything you possibly can to resolve customer complaints and respond to any negative reviews. If you don’t have the time to do this yourself, there are online reputation management companies that can handle your digital presence for you. A good example of how you can quickly get onto the bad side of a younger audience is Delta.
 
Here’s what not to do as a company:
 

Be Socially and Environmentally Conscious

Young people today often make buying decisions based on what they think of a company as separated from its products or services. A business that lines up with a buyer’s personal values is much more likely to get his or her trade than one that doesn’t. Try to participate in some charitable activities or outline what steps your business takes to minimize its environmental impact. Such small gestures can show younger consumers that you share their values, thus making them more likely to buy from you.

Example – Panda Sunglasses.

Present a Vigorous and Innovative Public Face

Young people love novelty and innovation, which exactly what you should give them. If your product or service doesn’t change to keep up with the times, younger buyers will be less likely to buy it over a competitive one that has done more to stay relevant. Similarly, your company’s overall presentation should be exciting and fresh, rather than old, boring, and stuffy. Millennials will have a harder time identifying with businesses that they perceive as stuck in the past, and will therefore be somewhat less likely to buy from them.

Offer Great Customer Service

No matter what business model your company uses, it’s critical to your success with Millennial buyers to offer outstanding customer service. Younger customers these days expect amazing service for their money, and will be disappointed if they don’t receive it. Make sure to train your customer support staff well and give them the best resources you possibly can, including access to information using a high-speed business internet and phone service.

A program made for big businesses like the ones at Frontier Business services will give you a good internet connection to connect over long distances and won’t break with a lot of volume. Great customer support will also play a key role in bolstering your online reputation with reviewers, as discussed above.

Build Long-term Relationships

Many younger buyers won’t make a purchase the first time they encounter your brand. To make sure they get multiple exposures to your company, it’s important to build a regular audience. One of the best ways to do this is through a blog on your company’s website that offers useful information about your business niche.

A YouTube channel can also be useful, as viewers can subscribe to you and be exposed to your brand over and over again as you release new video content. Email marketing, too, can be a useful means of connecting with potential customer’s multiple times. Remember to make these marketing efforts more than simple promotion. If you want to build a loyal audience, you need to give them useful information and real value.

Connecting with young buyers can be challenging, but given the share of the consumer market they represent, the results are well worth the effort. Remember to present young buyers with a company face they can identify and agree with while providing them real value, and you’ll be able to gain traction with the Millennial consumer base in no time.