Recently, while shopping for Instagram props with some of the smart, cool twenty-somethings I work with, I suddenly had a moment where I felt "out of touch" with them. This generation of people, millennials, were telling me I didn't know what prop would look right with what Instagram filter? Also, what was with all of the eye rolls, just because I tried once (or maybe a hundred...) times to enlarge a pic on Insta? (Which by the way, I now know you can't) Unfortunately this wasn't the first time a twenty-something told me I was out of step-- as a mother of 22 and 25 year old sons, I have seen the side eyes and heard the snickers, when I don't know which app to download for an instant restaurant reservation or how to track my exercise patterns. While I believe I am more tech-savvy than most of my friends, I realize there is so much I don't know. This is why I am so happy to have so many millenials around me--forcing me to keep up with them.
Every day my team amazes me with their approach to work and to business. Having more than 90 employees in my office under the age of 30, I have a daily window into an entire generation's perspective-- what makes them tick, how to communicate effectively and efficiently via text/ messenger/ emoji, what apps to download (and how to use said apps), how to visually step my virtual game up, etc. This generation grew up surrounded by technology in a world of limitless choices and options. They bring this perspective to everything they do.
Keeping up with the Millennials has helped me earn the loyalty of this "tech centric" generation of shoppers. A few tips from the trenches...
- Millennials Buy and Shop Differently than any other generation. They have access to anything and everything 24 hours/ 7 days a week online-- this means literally thousands of choices. Our goods have to stand apart from the rest. This knowledge has helped us hone our entire process from the way we photograph items to the way we pack and ship them. We have to continually stay on top of our visual game to compete for the attention of these "over stimulated" shoppers.
- Millennials are Money Savvy shoppers. They do thorough online research and know how to get the best quality at the best price. This is why it's crucial to have all of our items authenticated by experts. We know that we have the "Internet Generation's" eyes on us--We can't afford mistakes.
- Be Your True Selfie. Millennials have never known a world without the Internet and social media. You can't just sell to them. In order to keep up with them it's important to engage them seamlessly across all traditional and social platforms. Relating to them with social media content that interests them is an integral part of selling to them. You need to engage them with your brand.
#smartmillenials #knowyouraudience #keepingupwiththemillenials #nevertoooldtolearn