Astute marketing is all about recognising the wants and needs of your core demographic and embodying certain elements in your marketing campaign. Today, the priorities of the younger generations have challenged marketing professionals to act and change the way they advertise quickly. Indeed the opportunity to rapidly transition to new social roles and channels can be of immense benefit to any business that caters to young people.
Not surprisingly, this ability to predict and adapt can be much harder to implement than it is to suggest. So,which marketing strategies will resonate with the younger generations and correlate with you business goals at the same time?
Hang out where they are hanging out
Social media is where you will find the younger demongrapbhic, but there is little point in wasting your time and spreading yourself thin across all of them, because some of the platforms will be more effective than others. Facebook used to be the key one to target, but a survey in 2020 found that Snapchat is the most widely used and important social network for younger people – 34% of US teens. The next most popular was TikTok, with 29% of US teenagers hanging out there. This is where you need to be concentrating your efforts primarily. Look at how similar brands and businesses advertise on tiktok and use that as inspiration.
Create fresh and relevant content
The younger generation don’t want tired content that has had no real thought put into it. They want relevant, up to date content that align with their beliefs and experiences. Going back to TikTok – what are the viral videos doing? Is there a way you can incorporate these into your own content? For example, if you are a clothing business, look at the dance trends (Fortnite style ones are big news still!) and look at having your models dancing while wearing your clothes.
Consider your brand reputation
For want of a better word, the younger generation is more ‘woke’ than ever before. They care greatly about equality and injustices, the environment and things going on around them. They are much more likely to purchase and feel represented by a brand who has the same beliefs and ethos. Again, look at your core beliefs – are you eco-concious or committed to racial equality? Can you really push this message in your marketing? Be careful not to ‘greenwash’ though; consumers are not stupid. They will see through any messages that are not authentic and you can come off worse.
Don’t discount influencers
While older generations often turn their nose up at influencers, they can be well, influential for the younger generation. Look at who they look up to and see if you can reach out to them. If you can’t, or your budget does not quite stretch that far, try to understand what it is that makes them so popular with your demographic and try to replicate that.
The younger generation are more demanding, more woke and have their eyes open to marketing. Make sure you understand their needs and beliefs and align your marketing strategy towards this.
