-Source-Forbes-
Bear with me, but I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that marketing to young people is impossible. It just is. Especially if you’re tied to old tactics of the past. You know the ones I’m talking about: droning on about your product’s quality, price point or even its supposed “wow” factor.
None of that matters anymore. Throw those ideas out the window. Your new objective is to connect with young people on a human level. You can’t “sell” to millennials or Generation Zers. They won’t have it. But you can communicate with them. They’re open to that. Starting a dialogue is critical. The key is knowing what approach to take or, at least, what approach not to take.
Here are six suggestions that could work for you.
Stop Selling
Stop, immediately. As Generation Z begins to make up a great percentage of consumers, a key theme identified by HuffPost contributor George Beall — and one that I experience firsthand every day — is that younger generations do not want to be pitched anything. Anything. At. All. You must make it a two-way conversation and be willing to listen. If you can build authentic interactions, you will be on the right track.
Act Like A Human
I’ve found that when marketing to younger people it’s important to relax. Find your sense of humor. Millennials often don’t trust traditional marketing — and they also don’t fall for cookie-cutter, manufactured attempts at authenticity. They want the real deal. Understand this going in.
The bar you must jump is much higher than the bar set by other generations. If marketers to these previous generations had to “Fosbury Flop” over an 8-foot pole, you have to make it over the Empire State Building. But don’t fret. This doesn’t make younger generations scary and unapproachable. Think of it the other way. If you can earn their trust and admiration, they will stick with you to the end. Read more
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