MILLENNIALS & SOCIAL MEDIA

Millennial Disruption – A Four Part Series

Part Four

When it comes to social media, Millennials again lead the pack.  Seventy-five percent of Millennials are on social media, spending 5.4 hours a day on various platforms.  According to Nielsen, more than 65 percent of Millennials follow brands on social media, with the majority saying the reason is for deals or coupons.

The Communication Method

Social media is the number one choice among Millennials for communication.  Five out of six Millennials would rather connect with companies on social media than any other platform.  When it comes to connecting with customer service, 78 percent use Facebook, 43 percent use Twitter and 25 percent use Instagram.

Social media is also the default method for peer socializing.  According to a study by Deloitte, two-thirds of Millennials value interacting with friends via social media as much as in-person.  The study also showed that almost three-fourths of Millennials’ purchase decisions are influenced by social media recommendation rather than TV ads.  In a sub-set (19-25), that percentage reaches 71 percent.  According to Salesforce, 30 percent of Millennials engage with brands on social media, just under 59 percent of Millennials follow a brand before purchasing from it and 60 percent are likely to buy from a brand they follow.

Just as with TV, the key to social media success is correctly parsing the audience and platforms.  For example, young Millennials are higher users of sites such as Snapchat and Instagram while older Millennials favor Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Key Takeaways

  1. Tailor Your Message – As mentioned previously, the great diversity of the generation demands messaged tailored not only for platforms but for the various sub-groups you want to reach.
  2. Do Not Intrude – Millennials will follow you and interact with you but only AFTER they have reached out to you. Make your content compelling and meaningful and Millennials will take that step.
  3. Respond Promptly – Millennials demand constant communication. At least 22 percent of them expect a 10 minutes or less response time on social media.