Millennials (18 – 34) are a huge demographic. When it comes to online marketing, this is both great news and a challenge.
The good news? They are on the internet. Constantly. In a recent survey looking at how young adults change spending in a recession, the two things millennials were least willing to sacrifice were “Internet connection” and “Mobile/smart phone” use. Over 50% wouldn’t even downgrade their internet connection in the face of recession.
Compare this to the more than 90% who were willing to downgrade or get rid of “Dining out,” “Magazine subscriptions,” or “Going out to the movies” and you see just how important internet use is to this demographic. No doubt online marketing is the way to reach them.
But there’s a challenge. According to eMarketer, millennials as a whole are “skeptical” and “distrustful of traditional marketing messages.” As a millennial myself, I agree wholeheartedly. If an advertiser tells me their product or service is amazing, this means nothing. Of course they would say that.
So who will millennials trust? Aside from the advertiser—anyone. When making a purchase, millennials rely “on the advice of friends, family or even strangers in the form of online reviews.”
I do the same thing whether I’m looking for an auto mechanic or simply trying to find a good movie to watch—I look up reviews/testimonials. Preferably brief ones. And the more there are the merrier. I want to know what other people thought of the service/product. Their testimony I trust. The advertiser’s testimony I don’t.
Case in point, I recently had to choose a new dentist. There were numerous dentists conveniently close to me covered by my dental plan. But one guy had a lot of strong, positive reviews. He’s now my dentist.
As eMarketer says, when it comes to online marketing “What appeals to them [millennials] is authenticity.” Therefore, to a large percentage of the population (specifically the online population), testimonies can be one of the most effective conversion tools.
The good news? They are on the internet. Constantly. In a recent survey looking at how young adults change spending in a recession, the two things millennials were least willing to sacrifice were “Internet connection” and “Mobile/smart phone” use. Over 50% wouldn’t even downgrade their internet connection in the face of recession.
Compare this to the more than 90% who were willing to downgrade or get rid of “Dining out,” “Magazine subscriptions,” or “Going out to the movies” and you see just how important internet use is to this demographic. No doubt online marketing is the way to reach them.
But there’s a challenge. According to eMarketer, millennials as a whole are “skeptical” and “distrustful of traditional marketing messages.” As a millennial myself, I agree wholeheartedly. If an advertiser tells me their product or service is amazing, this means nothing. Of course they would say that.
So who will millennials trust? Aside from the advertiser—anyone. When making a purchase, millennials rely “on the advice of friends, family or even strangers in the form of online reviews.”
I do the same thing whether I’m looking for an auto mechanic or simply trying to find a good movie to watch—I look up reviews/testimonials. Preferably brief ones. And the more there are the merrier. I want to know what other people thought of the service/product. Their testimony I trust. The advertiser’s testimony I don’t.
Case in point, I recently had to choose a new dentist. There were numerous dentists conveniently close to me covered by my dental plan. But one guy had a lot of strong, positive reviews. He’s now my dentist.
As eMarketer says, when it comes to online marketing “What appeals to them [millennials] is authenticity.” Therefore, to a large percentage of the population (specifically the online population), testimonies can be one of the most effective conversion tools.
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