As a digital marketer, you will agree with me that, grabbing the attention of the millennials and keeping it, it is equally as hard as it is finding a nurse sitting down at work, or finding a remote on a Friday night for that matter. And whereas there are a thousand and one contributing reasons to this ‘mystery’, such as the low concentration of eight seconds that has always been used to characterize them. One reason certainly cuts across all of them;
It is less known about what these young people expect from the content disseminated by the digital marketers and the platforms from which they disseminate it from.
Yes, we do not know what the millennials really want from us digital marketers even with the researchers burning the midnight oil to figure it out for us.
And one thing me and you know for sure is that, these millennials are the future ABC1consumers, and if we capture their interests and commitment today, we will have struck a deal of a lifetime relationship with them – which is good for business – and that is why we can’t risk dismissing their interests and demands as selfish since they are the biggest media users – social media to be precise (97% Facebook users and 45% Twitter users).
At this point the obvious question is, how do we get these millennials learning, talking and sharing our content as digital marketers?
Unfortunately, that question can only be answered by another question, “What do these young people want from us marketers?” That is the question that we should all ask ourselves, which is even worse because it is a rhetorical one. However, the answer to it by all means should be based on the values they uphold, lifestyles they cherish and their media usage.
And the bad news is that (and I’m really sorry to be the one to break it for you), a well-written, a well-researched story or a blog post won’t keep their juices flowing.
It’s a hard reality to come to grips with, isn’t it?
But do we have a choice?
Yes we do.
Here is a secret that most high ranking marketers won’t let you know, the millennials want things that make their lives easier. Just that. They have already have hard time combating the global warming and the overwhelming technology.
They want content that;
– Work best with the technology they own
– Excites them
– Don’t take much of their time (which they don’t have anyway)
– That entertains them.
They even go a notch higher into the wanting list and expect some free products, good discounts and winnable competition. And as you have seen, conversation does not feature anywhere as long as they are concerned.
So, as you go on toying with the word ‘Engagement’ – the current marketing mantra, remember to play along those lines to win the millennials.
-Written and submitted by Derrick Mwangi