As a Millennial myself, I have come to the understanding that change is sometimes a hard reality to face. My once favorite TV shows (Full House, of course) are gone, Britney Spears is no longer the idol of every young girl, and you’ll never hear “butterfly hair clips” and “trendy” in the same sentence.
However, with every change, you get to turn over a new leaf. And more often than not, it’s for the better. So, if you’re the type of business that doesn’t think they need to re-adjust their marketing strategy to include Millennials in their target audience, think again.
Millennials are business owners! This should immediately grab your attention. And the important fact - they are more positive about the future of the economy than their non-millennial counterparts. In fact, nearly 74% of B2B Millennial small business owners think the national economy will improve, while only 45% of Gen-Xers (ages 34-54) and 35% of Baby Boomers (ages 51-69) feel the same way.
In terms of expansion plans in the next year, the Small Business Owner Report found, “Gen-Xers are most likely to target new industries and customers (51%), while Millennials are most likely to hire additional staff (59%) and open new locations (53%). More than half of B2B Millennial small business owners are also getting funded.” This means they have money to spend and are likely searching for partners to help them grow their business.
Are those partners you? If your business targets other business owners, yes! And you need to start paying attention to how you can start connecting with Millennials, because trust me, they aren’t doing business with people the old-fashioned way!
When trying to engage with b2b Millennials and ensure you are getting it right, here’s what NOT to do:
1. “By the book” 9 - 5 schedule
Taking a two-hour lunch break or flipping open their laptops at midnight to finish the days work is simply among the norm. Millennials don’t see time in black and white, which many previous generations have done. They are very conscious about how they spend their time, and therefore, would prefer to pick their own schedule that fits into their daily routine. To keep their attention, be accommodating! That doesn’t mean you have to schedule a meeting with them at 10pm, but sending an email or making a phone call at 8am might not reach them.
2. Not caring about philanthropy
Millennials care about making a difference and prefer partnering with companies who also care about giving back. They take risks and want to change the world. If they find that your business isn’t passionate in this area, they are going to find someone else who can offer what you can offer but is also a philanthropic inspiration.
3. Ignoring mobile habits and social media
Millennials grew up with the technology at their fingertips. They live and breathe on their smartphones. They are looking for digital synergy. 61% of smartphone users access their phones to compare pricing, services and partnership opportunities. Plus, Millennials hop from one screen to another at warp speed, often starting an online transaction from let’s say their cell phone but then finishing (post-distraction) on their iPad. Imagine these opportunities being flushed down the toilet, simply because you don’t have that information easily accessible to them. If your website, blog, forms, landing pages, contact info, etc. isn’t mobile friendly and fluidly accessible across multiple mobile devices, make fixing them a top priority.
4. Giving the impression that your company has something to hide
Millennials have grown up in an information-overload environment and they make incredible sleuths! If your company has something to hide, they'll find it. Millennials seek truths and business owners who are good people. User-generated content (blogs, forums, online reviews, social media content, etc.) influences more than 80% of Millennial purchasing decisions. Be smart about brand’s reputation and digital presence. If you have negative reviews online, do your best to clean it up. NOTE- this doesn’t mean deleted or unpublishing negative online reviews, it means respectfully and purposefully responding to them in efforts to remedy an unfavorable perception or experience. You need your brand to gain the trust and admiration of Millennials so transparency is golden.
5. Not SEO friendly
When a Millennial has a question, Google is often their first (and only) stop. Ensure your online content can be found by making it search friendly. If they’re at a meeting, and want to research something being discussed, how awesome would it be if your business was among the first few results to appear when they whipped out their mobile phone to look? And more importantly, 85% of online searchers will never move past page one of Google results. If you’re not employing a modern SEO strategy (aka a content-fueled SEO strategy), you should be. Your competition likely is. Or will be soon. Don’t let your competition capture their attention before you even have a chance to act.
