It’s been said many times that the current crop of young working professionals are the “Selfie Generation” and anyone arguing against that would be hard pressed to prove their point. Today’s generation, sometimes dubbed ‘Millennials’, are a very busy bunch. Between taking the perfect selfie, finding the right filter, uploading it to Instagram, finding the right hashtag and tagging all the people who should be tagged, they simply don’t have any time to spend on whatever content you’ve put out there. Amazingly, in 2013, Instagram saw 34,924,648 posts that included the hashtag “#Selfie” and in 2014, there were over 1 million selfies taken each day.
The truth is, though, getting your content noticed by the so-called Selfie Generation is not as hard as you’d imagine and it involves a classic rule of communication – Speak to them in their own language. This doesn’t mean you should start taking your own selfies, but start thinking about platforms and messages that are relevant to them. The selfie generation wants to be talked with, not talked to, so how we communicate matters. What’s more, they are the most connected generation ever. They grew up with social media, a medium that was created for the sole purpose of dialogue, so be sure the keep the conversation two way. Here are three tips to get you started.
Show Rather Than Tell Your Story
Millennials have given new meaning to the phrase “Pictures or it didn’t happen”. Rather than going into a lengthy text explanation of what your products or services can offer people, try getting attention through the use of captivating photos that provide a sneak peek of what they’re missing by not visiting your site. The old adage of ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ is truly applicable here, but remember to include a short snappy description and relevant hashtags to your pictures to lead your audience back to your site.
Solve Problems
This generation has a mind-set that is focused on solving real world daily problems and if you want their attention, you have to show how your product or service can be a useful tool in their daily lives. One good example is when Uber launched its services 3 years ago, they not only provided a useful service, but also offered discounts that encouraged users to share their smartphone app. By offering to smart solutions, you are not only satisfying the demand, you’re creating powerful advocates – more than likely ones who have loads of followers on social media.
One size does not fit all
I mentioned earlier that Millennials are the most connected generation. They have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest – You name it, they’ve got an account on it. However, each social network is slightly different and should be treated differently. I won’t go into the differences, but if you want to find out more, Claire Boyles wrote a great post about it on Success Matters.
The point is they’re all different and you should be on all of them, but in the right way. Make sure you’re using the right platform for the message you’re putting out.
Finally, here’s a quick checklist of do’s and Don’ts for getting noticed by the Selfie Generation:
Do be aware of what time people are likely to be online – Remember, Most connected generation. Millennials check their Facebook in the morning to see what they’ve missed in the night, and then go online in the evening when they get home. Don’t post at 3 in the afternoon or it will be swallowed up.
Remember to KISS (Keep it Short, Stupid) – Very few people go online to read an essay. Keep your post concise and to the point, and then link to whatever article you’re alluding to. Let the audience decide if they want to read it, and more often than not, they will.
Mix and Match - Whether it’s a video, images, a podcast, or something interactive like a quiz, make sure you’re posting different things. This will maintain your audience’s engagement and keep things interesting for longer than a 5-minute attention span!
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