Marketing To Millennials: Retail Tip #1 From MicroD

Furniture World News Desk on 3/21/2017

2 Keys to Marketing Millennials

Coming off the heels of the 2017 ICFA Educational Conference, the buzz is all about the generational selling tactics. If you were fortunate enough to attend the Scottsdale two-day event for home furnishings industry leaders, you are a step ahead of the rest. While there were many talented speakers and informative sessions, the new scoop on marketing to millennials impressed us the most.

Here’s what we know:

Millennials are the first generation that actively participated in the acceleration of social technology. From AIM to Facebook to the hundreds of social outlets in 2017, the millennials started their social experience with technology and their technology experience with social.

48% of millennials are worried about the negative effects social media will have on their physical and emotional health; however, that doesn’t stop them from being the most collaborative and community-shopping generation today.

So, what’s the best way to market to millennials? We have two subtle practices to help you market better to more millennials.

Be Authentic.
Authenticity is invaluable.

If your brand is able to show authenticity or promoting causes within your communities, make sure millennials see it. When you ask an 18 - 34 year old who their heroes are, they’re likely to say ‘mom and dad’. Family values play a major role in the decision making of millennials. From the homes they purchase to the furniture that fills it, they look to their parents for approval and guidance. Their Boomer-generation parents drive home the meaning of social impact from their inherently positive attitudes.

If you’re taking a stand or serving the community, post it on Facebook and write about it on your company blog.

Be the Right Kind of Social.
Not all social media channels are created equal.

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• YouTube

Every channel has an audience and a purpose. Instead of creating a profile on every available social media channel, use the FOLK method:

F-Find your audience. What channels do they use to communicate? What channels do they use to research? Find that data and follow it.

O-Observe the competition. Want to know if you’re doing something right? See how many of your competitors are doing it, too. If you’re confident in your social channel marketing, observe the comparison between your brand and a competitor’s brand on the same channels. Whether you’re using an automation tool or not, several of the resources available on Facebook and Twitter will allow you to get insights into your page and your competitor pages. See an example of the Competitor Page Watch feature on Facebook below:




L-Learn the basics. Don’t jump straight into 42 hashtags per post and paid social advertising. Go organic then put your money where your data is (we’ll talk about that next). Learn the basics based on what your customers like on similar pages. If your demographic tends to be more engaged on Instagram than Facebook, put more time into better campaigns and imagery for Instagram. Start with an achievable plan and slowly build where your resources are most effective.

K-Keep track. Social automation tools can give incredible insights into the analytics of your different social media channels. The best way to see which channels you should flood is through the analytics. Find what works, rinse, and repeat.

By incorporating these two elements, Being Authentic and Be the Right Kind of Social, into your strategic planning, you can begin to grow the base of millennials in your brand prospects.

More about MicroD: MicroD is a technology partner in the home furnishings industry who has led the way with innovating online product presentation, website, eCommerce and EDI solutions for manufacturers and retailers. MicroD focuses on the customer journey by tying the entire experience together with consistent data and seamless connections using an Omnichannel approach that increases the customer experience. With four core offerings: eCommerce, website platform; product catalog data; interactive product visualization; and electronic data interchange (EDI) solutions, MicroD highlights a smarter and faster way to generate traffic and increase sales. For more information, visit www.MicroDinc.com.