The branded Millennial generation makes up nearly one-fourth of the U.S. population creating 21% of consumer discretionary purchases. Millennials have been deemed the future and the present target for Digital Marketing, therefore it’s vital for business owners to understand their patterns in order to successfully understand and effectively sell. The Millennial generation is the first of its kind due to factors including being raised with immediate access to digital information, which is how Digital Marketing truly was able to come about with a great ordeal of success over recent years. We’ve collected the most important tips on How to Make the Most of Marketing to Millennials in 2016.

1. Mobile Friendly Website
Millennials grew up in the age of technology – where everything is just a search bar away; In turn, the patience for any website that is more than elementary to use and is not mobile friendly will quickly be discarded. By allowing your consumers to login with a pre-existing social media account such as Facebook or Instagram, it’s much more they will be more willing to stay and shop.

2. Outbound marketing is out
In the 2014 survey, Engaging Millennials: Trust and Attention Survey, it was revealed that 84 percent of Millennials don’t trust traditional advertising. Magazine ads, direct mail, radio spots, etc. feel impersonal and lack of real substance to Millennials. If you’re looking to impress a Millennial, focus on advertising on popular social media platforms, such as Instagram or Snapchat. Allowing your Millennial customer easy access to purchase your product via social outlets is also a sure route to success.

3. Inbound marketing is in
Millennials are likely to trust experts and more likely to to be influenced by blogs, influencers or social networking sites. How-to’s, such as a makeup demonstration, will impress and intrigue a Millennial, since it will show that your company took the time to provide it for them. Millennials spend the majority of their free time looking at videos, images, and blogs – so why not take the time to monetize that?

4.  Personalize Featured Content
To appeal to the young consumer, it’s important to provide a personalized user experience in addition to relevant, targeted marketing. In other words, media publishing sites must focus on personalized content recommendations for each user. Consumers truly love retailers’ emails contain recommended products based on previous purchases and are more likely to take the time to shop on a site that offers personalized recommendations based on interest.

5. It’s more fun to borrow & trade
The young Millennial would rather rent, share, and barter than buy. The “sharing” mentality is used by a slew of services – Spotify, Airbnb, Buffalo Exchange and fashion sites like Rent the Runway are great examples. Not only does this allow for the potential to find something fresh and unique, but it also provides the satisfaction of being able to share and splurge with little risk. Why dream of buying a house in the hills if you can simply rent it “for the gram”?

6. Reward Customer loyalty
The more you reward loyalty, the more loyal a customer will become. Providing discounts, rewards, or personal perks  keep the consumer both interested and appreciated.

7. Utilize Influencers
Social media is all about peers and celebrities – only to compliment Millennials primarily care mostly about online presence. By utilizing social media influencers like a popular celebrity or influential member of an industry, your product will be more look more appealing. It also gives Millennials a sense of authenticity and trust when watching someone they respect use a product, even if it is sponsored.

8. Green is good
This generation is all about saving the environment and reducing carbon footprint, therefore Earth-friendly products give you leverage with most Millennials. If you can show that you care more than just about collecting the money in their wallets, you can build a strong brand-consumer relationship.

9. Involvement seeks interest
The majority of Millennials want to help companies they believe in develop their products and services to a successful level. By being involved, consumers feel important and special in various ways. Therefore, companies that enable them to be part of the product development process and engage via social media outlets will be more successful in the long run. Self-expression allows the consumer to establish their own personal brand inside your company, while contributing to the achievements of the brand.

10. Millennials just want to have fun
Young consumers have more fun browsing for a purchase than the actual purchase process itself. In other words, online exploration is a major form of entertainment for Millennials. Pinterest is a great example of making the shopping experience more of personal journey than just a simple purchase. By showing off your products on Pinterest, the consumer can make a wish list of products they want to buy while having a ball doing it.