Marketing to Millennials

I’ve been seeing this term more and more often – “The Millennials,” the new generation that’s replacing Gen X-ers. It seems a lot of companies are trying to rope in the support of this generation – desperately.

What’s the big deal about the Millennials? Well, they’re the second largest generation group, over 70 million of them born between 1980 and 2000; the Baby Boomers are the only ones to beat them out with 77 million. And they’re representing a huge shift in the job market, the economy, and the American philosophical climate. What’s more: They’ve got ample spending money.

So getting the attention of Millennials has become important to a lot of companies, and those companies are doing a little re-branding in the process. I’ve condensed a few marketing strategies here: it’s a little bit about who the Millennials are, what they want, and how to get the new golden generation to buy your product.

Here we go:

They’re Connected. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest – Millennials are the kings of social media. If you’re going to compete, you need to get your brand up and running on one of these sites. But don’t get too in-your-face: Millennials will shut you out if your marketing campaigns are too insistent or resemble spam. Be sure to read some of our other posts about effective blogging techniques and social media marketing plans.

They’re selfish. Well, not exactly selfish, but they’ve been groomed to believe they’re the best. They’re awesome. This is the generation that grew up with self-esteem boosting curriculum in the classroom, multiculturalism, and very attentive parents. This means that your copy needs to be highly-targeted, outlining benefits and features that relate specifically to them and make them feel, well … special.

They’re selfless. Again, not exactly. But they don’t always need personal incentives to support or buy something: social incentives count. That’s how American Apparel – which is known for paying their garment workers a living wage, well above the industry norm, and has branded themselves as “Sweatshop Free” – is able to sell plain-colored T-shirts for $20+. If your product is environmentally friendly, makes donations to a charitable cause, or is somehow productive beyond the product’s actual value, Millennials will eat it all up, so be sure to highlight any of these attributes in your copy.

They’re fun-loving. They are, in fact, one of the busiest generations ever, having grown up with action-packed schedules that continue into their adult lives. But they look for things that are fun, funny, out of the ordinary, and eye catching when they want to take a break from the daily grind. So don’t be afraid to break the mold and grab their attention. Even nostalgia counts when it comes to Millennials: for example, see Canadian Club’s “Damn Right Your Dad Drank It” campaign.

Aesthetics count. Think about the sleek design that made the iPhone so popular. No more cluttered, messy, mismatched, or boring marketing materials for these guys – they want a high-quality product that looks cool, too. Make sure that your copy is well-integrated with design in order to really get their tails wagging.

Want a little more reading to get to know the Millennials? Try starting here:

Forbes: “6 Things to Know About Marketing to Millennials”

MR Report: “Marketing to Millennials”

Taglines 101

As a business owner or service provider, few things are as important as a good tagline. After all, your tagline will appear on absolutely everything, from business cards and mailers to print ads and billboards. Your tagline will help with your branding, build your company’s identity, and (hopefully, anyway) burn itself into the minds of your current and prospective clients. A good tagline is the cornerstone of any great marketing campaign.

As a copywriter, coming up with a good tagline can be one of the most challenging tasks you’ll ever encounter. At best, writing a tagline is a great creative exercise – at worst, it’s a frustrating case of writer’s block waiting to happen.

Need some inspiration to help get your creative copywriting juices flowing? Read on for five tips to help you kick-start your next tagline assignment.

1. Make a list of differentiators. What makes company XYZ different from the rest? Do they offer 24/7 service, seven days a week? Are their products “green”? Have they been around longer than the other guys? Have they invented a revolutionary technique? Often, the things that make a product unique can be great starting points for a memorable tagline.

2. Think adjectives. Write down every adjective that comes to mind when you think of company XYZ’s product or services. Even better, ask them how they’d like people to see them – do they want their customers to view them as fun and exciting, or would they prefer to be known as experienced and reliable? A few good adjectives can help set the tone for your tagline.

3. Go with the flow. Now isn’t the time to censor yourself – write down absolutely everything that pops into your head, no matter how ridiculous. Spend a good 20 to 30 minutes in stream-of-consciousness mode and just write. Sure, you’ll come up with a lot of junk, but you’ll almost always come up with a few solid ideas you can run with.

4. Work together. As they say, two heads are better than one. Hunt down a coworker and have a brainstorming session instead of going it alone. Taglines can be a lot easier (and more fun) to write when you’ve got a partner.

5. Beg, borrow, and steal. Not literally, of course (that’s plagiarism) – but, spending some time looking at other companies’ taglines can help you get a sense of what works and what doesn’t. Need a starting point? Check out The 100 Best Advertising Taglines Ever and 22 Companies With Really Catchy Slogans and Taglines– they’re good sources of inspiration for taglines for everything from paper towels to diamonds.

Got any other tips for writing solid taglines? Do you have a favorite tagline? Leave a comment and share it!

A Quick Guide to Punctuation

Punctuation may seem like a small thing: After all, what’s so bad about one, teeny-tiny misplaced comma or the occasional wayward apostrophe? Nobody pays attention to  that stuff, right? Wrong. Bad punctuation – whether it’s in your web copy, your newsletter, or even in an email to a prospective client – is a credibility killer, plain and simple.

In most cases, all it takes is a careful proofreading job to avoid common punctuation mistakes. Not sure when to use an apostrophe or where to place a comma? Read on for a quick guide to good punctuation:

Plurals vs. Possessives

This is one of the most common mistakes out there. A plural noun means “more than one” – in most cases, you add an “s” to the end of the word.

For example: Most of my clients work in the oil and gas industry.
In this sentence, we’re talking about more than one client. So, we add an “s”.

A possessive noun shows ownership – you usually add an apostrophe and an “s”.

For example: My client’s latest advertising campaign won an award. In this sentence, we’re talking about the advertising campaign that belongs to your client. So, it’s possessive.

Commas

Not sure if your sentence needs a comma? You’re not alone. Commas are often misplaced, misused, and downright abused by well-intentioned folks who just didn’t know any better. Here are a few guidelines for when – and how – to use commas correctly.

In lists, commas help keep information separate.

For example: She put butter, milk, pancakes, and eggs on the table.
Without the commas to separate the items, we wouldn’t be sure if we had “buttermilk” or “buttermilk pancakes.”

When using conjunctions, commas help prevent run-on sentences.

For example: I went to the store, and then I went home. When you join two sentences (“I went to the store” and “I went home”), a comma helps keep your message clear.

Keep in mind that if you’re not dealing with two complete sentences, you don’t need a comma.

For example: Our products are great and affordable. You don’t need a comma because you’re not joining two complete thoughts (“Our products are great.” – complete sentence. “And affordable” – not a complete sentence).

The next time you post a blog or update your web copy, do a quick punctuation check to make sure that you’re not sending the wrong message.

And, just for fun, my “Bad Punctuation of the Week” award goes to my apartment complex, who recently posted this sign at the entrance of the parking lot: “TENANT’S PARKING ONLY”

That lucky tenant. Wonder where the rest of us are supposed to park.