In the workforce, millennials get a lot of hate from the older generations. The older generations consider millennials as self-involved, entitled and overly reliant on technology. They forget that this generation has a stronger than average sense of social justice. They possess great incredulity when concerned with information and facts. On top of that, they possess some of the best technology based skill sets.
Just for informational purposes, it should be known that the millennial generations are defined as individuals that were born from 1980 to 2000. Though everyone is different, this generation does possess a similar set of characteristics. They use a wide range of media and view brands as a form of self-expression. They value authenticity, value, and honesty.
In comparison to previous generations, they are more technologically advanced, more educated and the most ethnically and racially diverse generation. They are also known to support brands and companies that have products that are socially and environmentally responsible.
If you’re wondering why you, as an automotive dealership, should invest in marketing that targets the millennial generation, you should know that the millennials represent the largest generation at roughly 80 million people. They also represent an increasing percentage of the economy’s buying power at over $170 billion.
So, how do you reach your millennials audience? Below, we’ll be outlining the top seven marketing techniques to reach your millennials audience.
1. Ensure Proper Content Marketing
Studies have shown that 84% of millennials do not trust traditional advertising methods. They have a distrust of brands and corporations. In order to reach the millennials, companies need to effectively use content marketing. They should inform their audience of their services, entertain them enough to get them interested and provide value. They should keep conversions as a secondary need.
2. Use Social Media
In comparison to other generations, millennials are the most involved and engaged generations in society. They represent the largest percentage on most platforms, such as Snapchat and Instagram. Automotive dealerships need to enhance their social media strategies to better target the millennials through informational, but fun, content.
3. Ensure all content is mobile friendly
millennials are by far the most mobile generation. They use mobile devices more than they use desktops. If they’re on the go or face a problem, they instinctively pull out their devices to find a solution. For automotive dealerships, this means that you need to ensure that your website, vehicle stock, and customer service chats are all mobile friendly. All content should load easily on all devices.
4. Showcase Company Values
As stated above, millennials seem to have a natural distrust in corporations. They prefer brands that show corporate social responsibility. So, in order to reach your millennials audience, you’ll need to ensure that your brand gives back to their community or invests in worthwhile causes. Ford and GM are two automotive companies that have made an active effort to support social and environmental initiatives.
5. Social Proof Evidence
Millennials are the embodiment of social proof. The majority of millennials trust their family members, friends, and sometimes even a stranger’s opinion over a corporation or brand. You will need to implement the power of personal brands into your content strategy. The more consumers that see you bridging the gap between your dealerships and your consumers.
6. Fast Solutions
In terms of technology, millennials have a ubiquitous access to it. They know where and how to find information fast. Since they’re always searching on their mobile devices, they want their answers to load quickly. So, as a dealership who wants to ensure their service, you must offer them fast content. You need to serve their content needs and earn their loyalty.
7. Specific Targeting
Like any other generation, all millennials are not the same. They are all individuals with distinct likes and dislikes. So, it won’t be a good idea to adopt a strategy that seems too general. A general strategy would show that you only wish to sell to them without knowing anything about them. Narrowing your scope to a niche audience, those that you know would want to buy vehicles, and regularly interacting with them will strengthen your relationship.
Though these seven techniques won’t be able to guarantee you content that resonates with millennials, it will be a step in the right direction. Your content strategy is incremental for reaching your millennials audience. They are not like any other generation before them, which meant that they would not like traditional methods of advertising.
There are few companies that have really reached their millennials audience and set the bar high for marketing. They aligned the millennials generation with a cause that allows them to participate in making a difference. They used social media to interact and engage with their millennials audience. They provided a disruptive model that shook the traditional corporations.
Instead of looking elsewhere, millennials are looking to other millennials for their advice and opinions. So, content marketing and paid media, such as Facebook ads, are key to the success of your brand. Several automotive brands are buying the help of top influencers to promote your vehicle line up to their followers. On top of that, hiring fellow millennials to showcase your brand has proven to work well for automotive dealerships.
So, what will make the real difference in the end? There’s no one answer for that question. It could be different things for different people. One thing stays true for most millennials is, their need to give back. They want the brands that they support to give back to the community and be active in times of need. They want to see their generation represented in a positive light.
