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“How the heck do I reach out to Generation Y?” It’s a question that many marketers ask, but don’t know how to find the answer. Or, if they do know the answer, they’re too scared to jump in and get started.

Millennials or Gen-Yers (whatever you want to call us) represent the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of us began entering “adulthood” in the early 2000s, but tend to put off many traditional rights of passage until later on. Commonly referred to as The Peter Pan Generation, millennials hope to “wring out every drop of opportunity…before considering marriage mortgage and family of their own.”  I use the word “we” and “us” because yes, I am one of them. So let me help you help us.

Here are three ways to effectively market to Generation Y:

  1. Don’t Try to Be Sneaky

    You know why—because we see right through it. People may see us as a confused and unintelligent generation, but our hours of screen time has made it easier for us to block out old-school advertising techniques.

    We don’t want to be shouted at, or be told that we CAN’T MISS out on some incredible deal. We want facts, ratings, prices, and a link to make the purchase from our smart phones. It’s very simple.

    We value honesty. Provide us with something of value, and clearly explain how the product can help us personally. We embrace brands! So don’t be afraid , be straight up with us—we can take it.

  2. Make It Easy For Us to Connect

    At this point, a brand must be actively engaged in the pulse of its consumers. When a business engages with us Gen-Yers on social media pages, we feel like you actually care and want to connect with us. That can really go a long way–and we will gladly reward your efforts.

    Gen-Yers are very aware of brands and we love to connect—especially online. We are tech savvy and are on top of social media.  The cool thing is we WANT to engage with you. You just have to provide us with a way to do so–and a reason to do it.

  3. Invest in Some Quality, Content Marketing

    One important thing to remember about Gen-Yers is that we are a little stubborn. We don’t want anyone forcing anything on us. We want to feel like we figured it out ourselves–that we came to you. We are very good at totally ignoring anything that interrupts our life, rather than adding value to it. Instead of taking a forceful approach, create marketing campaigns that are organic. Hire some amazing content writers to bulk up your blog with information that informs, energizes, and engages your audience. We’ll pay more attention to you, if you do.

    Being sneaky and taking short cuts really doesn’t cut it anymore for marketing to any generation—especially when it comes to millennials. We need a great product, with a great story, and a way to feel connected to it.  Just get REAL.