Born between 1980s and 2000s, Millennials are the individuals who have witnessed the end of a millennium. They are part of a generation which is more likely to live and breathe technology than any other generations before them. According to research, 70% of the Millennials consider it their responsibility to share feedback on social media after good or bad experiences and 72% of all consumers put their faith in personal recommendations as well as online reviews.
Pakistan has 30 million internet users, 129 million mobile subscribers, 17.6 million Facebook users and 2.5 million Twitter users in 2015. These numbers are on the rise and it is needless to say that most of these individuals are part of the millennial generation. In fact, 76% of the Facebook users in Pakistan are aged 18 to 34. This paints a very promising picture for marketing to millennials in the country. It is definitely a market which cannot be easily ignored.
Research in US suggests that by the year 2020, Millennials will do an expenditure of $1.4 trillion annually. There is lack of statistics to suggest the same for Pakistan but with the speedy advent of technology and increased power of youngsters via social media witnessed in recent years, it can be predicted that predicted expenditure would make any marketer sit up and take notice.
Millennials are different from the older generations: they marry later, rent rather than buy, are less religiously affiliated and most importantly, are addicted to their mobile phones and social media. They are changing the way business is done and they are changing the nature and form of marketing. Not to forget, millennials are a diverse group. However, there are some ways which can be tapped into for targeting and attracting Pakistani Millennials:
Strong Mobile Marketing
Considering the mobile phone users in Pakistan have reached 116.43 million in 2015 and more than 70% of these users are most definitely millennials, marketing through mobile devices is not to be taken lightly. It is essential to develop content that is easily accessible on mobiles because millennials are always on the go. There is a need to make an engaging page on Facebook, or have websites which are optimized for mobiles, load easily and be attractive even on a smaller screen. Another good way is integrating your advertisement into a popular mobile app.
Social Proof Conquers All
Millennials’ addiction to social media doesn’t stop at taking pictures of their food and uploading it to their social networks. It goes beyond that. They rely heavily on sites like Facebook, Google and even Twitter to make purchasing decisions. If a business’s reputation is tarnished through an online review, they will know about it. If a new place is open in town and people are raving about it, they will know. Getting great reviews online which have been ‘shared’ and ‘liked’ is essential. Millennials don’t merely share to show something to their friends, they then actually have meaningful discussions and make decisions following them. It is essential to create content which attracts and encourages discussion. Positive reviews will have a huge impact on a business’ success.
Be Relevant And Engaging
Millennials have been born and brought up in a world of internet and social media: they don’t trust something at face-value as quickly as you would like them to. In fact, they trust and are easily swayed by their peers more than anything else. The perfect way to get your message across to millennials is to get millennials themselves to spread the word. To do this, you need to be both relevant (to their lives and needs) and engaging (respond to negative reviews, gain their confidence and become an active social participant.) There is nothing millennials like better than to feel important and you need to make them feel important.
Remember that these individuals are not stupid. They may be impatient, but they have been empowered by technology: they understand the marketing game. You need to make them feel that you are paying attention to their needs, that you value their opinions and that for you, each consumer is special. The key of marketing to Pakistani millennials is to be on the social media radar: the more you are talked about, the more you will be known.
