In the last few years, the number of “Millennials” mentionings and references amongst the new social current critics, marketing experts and social researchers has risen. The interest was since extended to the mainstream media. But do you know what or who they are exactly ?
If you are reading this, the chances are you might be one of them yourself. I myself am certainly one of them.
One of the synonyms for the Millennials is the Generation Y. More familiar now?
If it is still a puzzle, Generation Y is the generation following the über-successful Generation X. The Generation Y is not defined by any strict time frames, but it is generally considered the Millennials are people born in the period expanding from the early 1980’s to the beginning of the 21st Century.
Other names used to describe this vast group are “The Global Generation ” because of their need for global connectivity at all times, “Generation Next” and even “The New Boomers” as a play on “the baby boomers”, since it is considered they were born in an uprising economy, unburdened with social injustice, similar to the original baby boomers. Some, however, called it even “the Peter Pan generation”, because it generally takes them more time to enter adulthood than the previous generations, so they seem and act younger and less responsible than their own parents at the same age.
However, the term “Millennials” stuck.
Many of the social critics and observers tend to over complicate an already complex definition by adding their own views into the mix.
Basically, Millennials are young people who tend to get their information from many sources and are in constant search for more reliable and on-time information about everything. Their connectedness is what defines them. And they define the new state of connectivity. Boundaries are being push every single day.
From “The Arab Spring” to “The Turkish Protest”, the new form of internet-based political activists and even dissidents. Most recently, you could have witnessed the Millennials act together, digitally, via twitter, propelled by the Ferguson killing. That is just one aspect of their online lives, which are very much intertwined with their real lives. It could be said that it is a part of their collective civic-mindedness.
So, the Millennials are also rather empathic, and very other-people-oriented. They can be moved easily, and can move others more easily. But they can also be done with something sooner rather than later.
Technologically speaking and entertainment-wise, one can say that the Millennials are the generation of streaming services.
The Millennials look for instant information and instant effect. There is not time to be wasted.
Unofficially, the Millennials sum up to approximately 30% of the Internet-using population in the western civilization. They are not all alike, but they do have a subculture of their own. Their own role models and entertainment personas. Even their own sense of humor.
They rarely belong to a traditional profession or a line of work. Most of them try several different odd job, before finding themselves in a new and yet not people saturated vocation. Or they never really settle down, they go from one exciting new job to another. Even if they do a traditional job, they have interests that take them into other fields constantly. They use their interests and outside information to improve their business in a non-traditional way. They keep it alive and successful that way.
Millennials keep very informed about a lot. And they share a lot.
Many of them work in the entertainment industry, the IT, design, new media and arts. They run their blogs, and make money from it. Some of them will make a fortune out of running a successful Instagram account. They have more freedom to be more creative and sometimes even fiscally irresponsible, because it is easy to fall back on something else.
The best known and most influential of them come from varied backgrounds. The golden boy of the Millennial movement is definitely Mark Zuckerberg. As the founder of Facebook, the ever-so-present tool of communication, he bought Instagram, the largest image sharing platform on the web, and WhatsApp, perhaps the most pervasive mobile application in the world.
Other famous Millennials are Lena Dunham, already a Golden Globe winner at 27, or Jenna Marbles, a YouTube sensation, making millions every day and reaching audiences everywhere. Pete Cashmore, now a Forbes‘ “Top 25 Web Celebs”, founded Mashable at the age of 19. Taylor Swift, only 25, is one of the most successful music artist of all time.
There are no age limits for these people. And more importantly, no success limits.
So, how does someone get and keep the attention of those too fast for anyone other than their peers? A group growing each day. A group that is no longer abiding by the old familiar rules.
Well, if one wants to reach this burgeoning target group, one needs to adapt the experience of themselves for Millennials. What does that mean? It means that anyone trying to reach this audience should make a more direct and custom approach. Adjust your content for them specifically. It will have a greater effect.
Also, if you do not belong to this generation, your definition of cool is not anything like theirs. It changes constantly. You will need someone current, someone of this very generation on your staff who would work on you social representation in order to reach them as a target.
For example, Marina and the Diamonds made a music video for each of her songs on her previous album, and that made her a huge star in the US, which is the most difficult market for a music act to enter successfully. She made it specifically because she targeted the Millennials.
Some marketing experts advise doing online customer service, via Twitter or Facebook chat. This way, the Millennials get their response ASAP. It is the ASAP culture. Everything is abbreviated.
Millennials also tend to rate all sorts of products and services. From Yelp to their twitter profiles, you will be judged based on what you offer, how you offer it and how fast you can provide it to them. Try to leave a good impression, and your business will have a good reputation among the most choosy of consumers.
Also, do not make a mistake of underestimating them. They might love their celebrities, but they are not dim-witted. They care for intelligent content. If you follow one of the most popular Millennials of today, Ronan Farrow, you will see what sort of intellectual briskness they care for.
This group is also very politically active. And rather inquisitive. They want answers, and they want them now.
A Millennial will never just follow another’s advice, they will question it first. They need an explanation. A concise, but substantial explanation.
However, the most influential of the Millennials do have enormous grasp on the younger and the more amenable social subjects, and they can use it for selfish causes.
Also, you should be aware that everything everyone from this generation is publicly doing is a way of self-promotion. It is perfectly understandable. This society favors achievers, and when the number of followers means success and profit, and it does more and more , every manner of promotion is in play.
A study showed that an average Millennial will share 6 different content posts a day. That includes Facebook posts, music videos, tweets, Instagram posts, vines, posts on Reddit. That is a lot of information. So it needs to be rich in content and time-conserving.
Would you read a tweet longer than 140 characters( if you could 🙂 )? Of course not. They are a drag. Anything that is important can be said under 140 characters. News headlines included. The most prominent news agencies realized that on time. That is why they are still in business. The Millennials don’t watch the TV. But they do tweet.
Also, no Millennial will ever watch an informative or commercial video longer than a minute and a half, two minutes tops. So, be interesting and short. Always short.
If you want to reach this target audience, and if you are really clever you will want to, you need to be as present as they are and to conform to their likings. Mark Cuban does Reddit AMAs. Ellen did that memorable Oscar selfie. Who for? Well, the Millennials of course.
Grab their attention. And when you have it, spread your own message. But don’t waste the chance.
