With an annual buying power of $200 billion, the millennial market is becoming a top-priority across all industries – tech start-ups aside. But what do we actually know about marketing to this social media savvy generation? For starters, the old tricks and tactics do not work anymore with them. Here are some of the top things brands should consider when engaging and converting millennials.

Create content that is fresh and authentic

According to AdAge, 84% of millennials report that user generated content on company websites at least somewhat influences what they buy and 73 percent say it’s important to read others’ opinions before purchasing. In other words, Millennials spend a lot of time online researching a project or service. They will scour websites, blogs, and social media to find the answers they are looking for. However, millennials are more selective about the type of content they trust and seek out relevant, authentic opinions from real product users they can relate to. 

Keep your interface simple

Millennials demand a hassle-free online experience. Take a look at the most popular mobile apps among millennials and you’ll quickly notice the simple design and ease of use. Millennials have a high standard for usability – which means your graphic design, messaging, and UX should cater to this expectation. A clean, well-designed website, simple, personalized messages, and an easy to navigate user interface will make a great impression on millennials. Is your site optimized perfectly for mobile? Do your pages load quickly? Are you using generic stock imagery or real photography?

Skip on traditional advertising

According to Hubspot, 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising 90% of millennials can be found on Facebook. What does that mean? Most millennials are not receptive to impersonal advertising methods like pop-ups, cold calling and direct mail campaigns. They would prefer to learn about your brand organically and bring their business to you. Not to mention, many millennials don’t watch traditional TV and instead spend time on Netflix and Youtube. You can get a better bang for your buck if you invest in Facebook marketing strategies that take into account millennials’ demographics. This way you can leverage ultra-specific targeting options.

Create buyer personas

Millennials share a lot of common behavioral patterns and are unique from previous generations. However, it would be ineffective to group and entire generation of 75 million Americans into one marketing demographic. By creating a buyer persona, you can focus on the type of person you’re trying to reach rather than a broad audience. Consider what messaging would resonate with them personally. What causes do they care about? What is their educational background? What type of hobbies do they engage in? Asking these specific types of questions will help you create content your target audience cares about.