For growing businesses today, you can’t afford to ignore the younger generations. Millennials are now the largest living generation in the United States, and Generation Z is rapidly growing in purchasing power as well. But young people have grown up in a different media environment, and they have an entirely distinct relationship with marketing. If you’re going to adapt and thrive with these new cohorts, you’re going to need to change the way you think about advertising.
Make Your Brand Stand for Something
The rising generations are all about being conscientious consumers. They want their values reflected in the choices they make and the brands they support. Don’t be afraid to put your values on display and make that a key component of your brand. Use your voice and your money as a brand to support a cause you believe in and ask millennials to be a part of it.
You don’t need to take a stand or actively support every issue there is out there. Find some cause that unites people, and that truly means something to you and your company, and find a way to support it. Younger consumers want to see their purchases and the brands they support having a positive impact on the world.
Produce Engaging, Authentic Content
Empty or repetitive advertising doesn’t cut it anymore. To build brand loyalty with customers among millennials and Gen Z, you need to produce high-quality content that reflects the authentic identity of your brand. Above all else, it must be engaging and have value on its own as content.
“Create valuable content, whether it’s informative, entertaining or something else entirely,” says Ted Rosenberg, a personal injury lawyer in Long Island. “Create something that will be helpful and answer real questions people have.” Then publish your content across multiple platforms to reach young consumers where they congregate. Make it worthwhile.
Start Interacting
These new consumers value conversation and community above all else. Brand loyalty is going to come out of a two-way relationship, not just one-way mass advertising. Establishing a presence and a distinct personality on social media is essential.
Join Facebook and Twitter and put in the time and effort to engage with people. Entertain people and create conversations to bring people together and build community on the web. That’s how you build a successful brand in the 21st century.
Let the Audience Do the Work
Building a brand is more important than ever because word of mouth and peer recommendations are more powerful than ever. Young consumers don’t respond to the traditional advertising sales pitch like older ones do. They are much more likely to consider a product if they see their peers using it.
By building relationships and making inroads in the market, you’ll establish an audience of consumers that will do the work of spreading your brand far more effectively and efficiently than you could ever do on your own. Try to create content and products that can be shared widely and efficiently.
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