The Secret to Reaching Millennial Customers? Hire Millennial Employees

Millennials — people between the ages of 21 and 39 — make up about 77 million (or more than a quarter) of the current population. They not only command serious buying power as consumers, but also they will increasingly populate the country’s workforce. And they have very specific desires and values that are unlike previous generations, necessitating a new mindset for marketing to them.

To connect to this valuable demographic, one of the smartest things you can do is to attract millennials to join your staff. To begin this process, you first need to gain a solid understanding of this bright and tech-savvy group of people and what makes them tick. Consider the following tips on how to reach millennial consumers.

Hire Millennial Workers

One of the best ways to reach millennial customers is to be sure you attract and retain millennial workers. By welcoming these individuals to your company, you’ll get a firsthand opinion on what this generation wants and looks for in products and services. These workers are digitally savvy, care about end results, seek strong leadership, and enjoy being a part of something big.

It’s a proven fact that millennials prefer to exercise full control over their careers and their personal lives, and tend to not sacrifice one for the other. Build a working model that allows workers to commute if they want to, or allow them to set their own hours. As long as the work gets done, giving these new workers a degree of control over when and where they do their jobs is a useful idea. As a result, you’ll see less absenteeism and greater productivity.

Other ways to bring millennials into your workforce is by offering competitive salaries and growth opportunities, and by providing education or on-the-job training. Ditch the traditional hierarchy and be sure to provide consistent feedback on a job well done. Send your employees to conferences and trade shows. Millennials work in a very different way logistically, so it’s also important to give your office a facelift to create a modern, millennial-friendly office space.

Choose Social Media

Social media has transformed the way people engage with one another, and this has happened during the millennial lifetime. Well-crafted social media pages will help attract more followers and as a result, gain you more customers. And millennial workers can help you build a strong social media presence. Open accounts for your company on several social media platforms and update them frequently. Engage your customers, respond quickly to comments and concerns and hire a social media optimization guru to keep your accounts updated. It may help to assign a savvy millennial writer to manage your social media pages.

Build an Online Presence

Studies have shown that more than half of millennials prefer an online retailer to an in-store experience. Part of the reason for this preference is easy access to reviews from other buyers and the option to browse a larger selection than would be available in-store. Convenient features like one-click ordering make the shopping experience quick and simple and will help keep customers coming back for more.

Millennials are always connected, so when you post material online, it is bound to get read — and connected mentally to your company. Create an informative and inspiring blog that corresponds to your company’s values and style. Offer content that’s pertinent to your company and be sure it adds value to readers’ lives. Millennials especially appreciate blog posts that contain emotional value, so be sure to share stories of inspiration, excitement, and happiness to reach a greater share of readers.

Also, never underestimate the power of a video. Today’s generation is highly visual, which means a simple video is likely to attract attention exponentially more than the written word. About 50 percent of millennials watch at least one video a day, so start filming!

Make an Impact

It’s not enough to sell quality products or offer excellent service. Most millennials prefer to do business with socially responsible companies. Get your name out there as a company that cares by making charity work a part of your company culture. Start by getting involved in a local cause. Encourage employees to volunteer for local events or charities — or better yet, organize a company fundraiser to assist a local charity. Allow employees to volunteer during the workday. In addition to improving the world, building your company’s reputation for caring and giving can help attract some top young talent to your door.

Personalize the Customer Journey

Part of attracting and retaining millennial customers is understanding and customizing the customer journey with your products and services and the ways customers can access them. Understanding what customers love most about what you have to offer — and what you can do to continually make it better — is a big part of building your millennial customer base. Numerous factors combine from a transaction’s start to finish to arrive at this sum: making consumers aware of your products, engaging new customers, getting them excited about particular products, making sales, establishing repeat business, and finally, helping the customer enjoy the brand so much that they willingly become a personal advocate.

Expand Your Communication Options

Aside from your online presence, you also want your customers to be able to reach you easily with questions, comments, and concerns. While there’s always the telephone, most millennials consider this a nuclear option. Instead, provide an email address or a number to text — or even the option to live chat via your website. List these means of communication on all your marketing materials to make it clear you are open for talks.

Millennials are all about ease of use at home and at work. They want to feel connected to the companies they work with and buy from; if they don’t feel that connection with your company, they will find it elsewhere. Create an open and honest platform that aligns your mission with the wants and needs of these consumers. In the end, you’ll grow your business and retain some loyal young customers.