Understanding what motivates Millennial’s to make healthy choices could greatly impact your ability to market health and nutrition products to them
There’s a new generation of customers coming of age: the Millennials (born between 1980-2000).
Millennials are often defined as digital natives, so you would think this generation would naturally be healthier. The truth is, Millennials know a lot about healthy habits, but tend to ignore what they know. Instead, they are glued to their digital devices, they exercise less, they eat more fast food, and, being young, they do not make health a priority.
These realities pose a challenge to marketers in the health and wellness space. Michael Fleishner, founder of www.marketingscoop.com, shares some helpful tips on marketing to Millennials. I’ve added some of my personal insights that I hope will help you to better engage Millennials with your brand.
1. Listen to the conversation. Sign up for Google Alerts or Technorati, and see what individuals are blogging about. Understanding how Millennials approach their own health and wellness may help you get them to take action. This insight can lead to interactive campaigns that will further engage them with your brand.
2. Create accounts in FaceBook, Twitter and other Social Media Platforms. Put you name out there. This one seems obvious, but, again, it gives your brand an opportunity to promote what you stand for. With this generation, it seems health and wellness brands need a call to action that really calls Millennials to get active. Use these platforms as an invitation into the real world and an opportunity to engage them in runs, walks or meetups.
3. Communicate on a personal level. Create a two-way dialogue with your audience. Rather than telling, ask Millennials which types of health and wellness tools they might be interested in. If you are marketing a sports drink, for instance, start a dialogue about when and where they might need extra energy or whether natural ingredients are important to them.
4. Focus on consistent messaging. Regardless of which media type you use, keep your messaging consistent. The Millennials are a skeptical generation, and they don’t like being marketed to. They also don’t like obstacles to purchasing. Eliminate impediments to buying, and make sure you are saying the same thing everywhere your message appears. Be clear about your ingredients and how they can enhance a healthy lifestyle.
5. Be creative. When your marketing is creative, it can very quickly gain momentum. Millennials are more social than other generations, and their social group is more widely defined. Use this to your advantage. You could create a ground swell of interest through you-tube videos, pinterest and other creative, viral tactics.
Click on the following link to read Michael Fleishner’s article, “5 Tips for Marketing to Millennials”. You may also be interested in these other health nutrition marketing topics:
Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Health Nutrition Brand
Marketing Health Nutrition to Men
Keeping Your Health Nutrition Marketing Ahead of Trends
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-love/5569243383/”>Sudden Fiction</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>
Jessica is a competitive athlete and the President of Energize HNM, a health and nutrition marketing agency. Jessica is committed to supporting health brands of every size by helping them define their missions and connect with their customers on a deeper, more meaningful level.