Millennials have been the focus of brand marketing for years now. However, with newer generations coming of age and asserting their identities, brands need to be even more mindful of who is seeing their message and how you can reach them where they are most likely to pay attention. For your brand to succeed in reaching younger audiences, it takes time to understand who these consumers are as individuals at this point in their lives.
You also take steps to market to those consumers where they’ll see it, rather than assuming all young people see the same TV shows or read the same magazines or websites that older generations might think they do. Here are five tips to reach a younger audience with your brand.
1. Determine Who Your young Consumers Are
The first and most important step in reaching a younger audience is to understand who those consumers are. This means understanding how Millennials’ upbringing, education, access to technology, and career paths have shaped their approach to life and consumption. It also means paying attention to how other generations are influencing the younger generation’s consumption habits
2. Run Owned Media Advertising
Whether it’s on social media, email marketing, or company websites, own-media advertising campaigns can succeed in reaching younger audiences. Own-media campaigns are great for promoting events, special offers, and news related to the brand that the younger generation will be interested in. Own-media advertising campaigns are often inexpensive, making them a great option for smaller companies.
Some of the best-owned media campaigns have a built-in call to action. For example, an email marketing campaign that offers exclusive content, like an interview with a company founder or a behind-the-scenes look at how products are made, can provide younger consumers with the information they want while providing an easy way for them to engage with the brand.
3. Use Influencers, Brand Ambassadors, and Partners
Younger consumers are much more likely to listen to the advice of friends and family members than they are to trust the advertisements they see on TV or online. Partnering with influencers and social media stars with large followings among the younger generation is one of the best ways to reach that demographic. By teaming up with an influencer or social media star, you can reach a new audience that you might not be able to reach with your traditional marketing methods.
Bringing on a partner or organizing a brand ambassador event staffing for your marketing campaign can also be a great way to reach younger consumers. Partnerships and ambassadors are particularly useful if your brand wants to reach a specific group of people, like gamers, urban millennials, or food lovers. it can take many different forms, depending on the people you’re trying to reach, but it could include a product endorsement, media tie-in, or sponsorship of an event
4. Create Content That Resonates With Gen Y and Z
To reach younger consumers, you also need to learn what content they’re looking for and create marketing campaigns and products that provide it. Your website, social media channels, and newsletters should get designed to answer young consumers’ questions.
The questions may include what your brand does, what sets you apart from your competitors, and why your products are better than those of your competitors. Your content must also be highly visual, engaging, and easy to understand.
For example, if you’re a technology company, you might want to create a blog series that answers common questions about technology. If you’re a fashion brand, you might want to create a video series that explains how to pair different types of outfits together. Whatever you do, make sure it’s relevant to the younger generation.
5. Be Visible Where Gen Y and Z Are Looking
One of the best ways to reach a younger audience is to ensure that wherever they look online, you’re there too. If you’re advertising on social media, ensure you’re on the most popular platforms where your target audience is looking. If you’re advertising on a specific website or blog, ensure you create content that relates to your target audience.
Your goal should be to make yourself as visible as possible to the younger generation wherever they are most likely to see you, whether on YouTube, Instagram, or a specific website like Reddit.
Bottom Line
There are many ways to reach a younger audience, like through social media, influencers, or creating content they want to see. When marketing to a younger audience, it’s important to understand what they are interested in and deliver it to them in a way they’ll enjoy. Following these tips can reach a younger audience and increase your brand’s exposure.