Strategies When Selling To The Generation Y Group
Generation Ys are those people aged between 17 and 28 years old, the baby boomer progeny. At 60 million strong, they are the biggest group to impact on the American scene since the baby boomers. While not quite as large as the baby boomer group, they are nevertheless on target to increase in size and to soon rival it in buying power.
About 75% of Generation Ys are regular Internet users, the familiarity with this media no doubt initiated through elementary and secondary education that demanded Internet access as a requirement. The group's tendency to use this medium as its chief communication method should encourage marketers to create ways and means to target its members.
Y members make contact via email, social networking and video, and they especially like to send each other texts. Statistics show that huge numbers of texts are sent by many teenagers in any given month. Most Generation Ys have cell phones. Campaigns involving the sending of text messages, therefore, are something for marketers to include in their marketing plan, especially as it is estimated that 75% of all text messages are transmitted by Generation Ys.
Marketing to the children of the baby boomers will be difficult. Boomer brands failed in trying to reach the smaller Generation X group, which had to be tolerated. Generation Y, however, is becoming big enough to affect a boomer brand more significantly, simply by ignoring it. Rival brands could also be launched to cause a bigger upheaval. For success in selling to this group, then, you will need to learn to think as it does.
Generation Ys have grown up in an even more technologically advanced media than the baby boomers and respond to advertising in a different way. In a lot of instances they are resistant to the traditional marketing channels that appealed to older generations. The marketers that do manage to grab the attention of Generator Y consumers are locating them in places they are known to visit, for example, the Net, social networks, and cable TV.
When you consider the thousands of social networks online, only a few cater specifically for Generation Ys. Facebook and Twitter are very popular, although their popularity is associated with a number of groups. Others include: BrazenCareerist.com, 20somethings.ning.com, Unigo.com, myYearbook.com. Each of these networks caters for a variety of Generation Y needs.
Older generations as well as marketers can learn a lot from these networks, to better understand who Generation Ys are and what they're about. They don't expect older generations to acknowledge everything about their lifestyle. They simply want understanding and respect.
To the Internet marketer, then, learn about the Generation Y motivators. Visit their social networks and acquaint yourself with them through reading what they are writing about. Your experience there will give you some knowledge on how to market to the Generation Y needs.
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