You’re probably sitting there wondering what a 24 year old millennial can tell you about internet marketing and advanced strategy to help you capture your audience online. Don’t worry. I understand your doubts. However, I have been internet marketing since I was 14 without even knowing it by building my first website for my lawn mowing business. Once I got older, I realized what I was doing and found I had a passion for internet marketing. By 17 I was handling all the marketing for a restaurant, which I have established a very strong and successful marketing campaign for. By 22, I earned my college degree in marketing.
For the last 2 years, I have had the privilege of being taught the most advanced web marketing strategies by some of the smartest people in the industry. They are all here at Glacial Multimedia. I now represent 55 practices throughout the US, and I am personally in charge of establishing all new practices for the company. I work with over 100 physicians in ophthalmology, dentistry, plastic surgery, spinal surgery, and many more.
A millennial is a person born between 1980 and 2000. It has been stated that the millennial generation is even larger than that of the baby boomer generation. There are roughly 77 million Millennials in the US, which is a fourth of the population (Nielsen). If that number doesn’t jump out at you, that’s a problem. It should tell you how important it is to market to this generation, and the 1.3 trillion dollars in annual buying power that they have according to Boston Consulting Group. If you aren’t targeting them as aggressively as you target the boomers and generation x, you’re not targeting ¼ of the population.
Millennials and Social Media
I don’t need a huge study to tell me that Millennials engage more online (especially in social media) than the baby boomers or generation x ever did – or do. Just look around. Everyone is on their phone all the time. Think of the typical family gathering. The older people in your family are usually gathered around the kitchen table or family room having conversations. While all the rest of the family is on their phones showing each other their latest social media trend or best Instagram photo they have taken It goes on and on. Just think about all the platforms they keep up with; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Vine, LinkedIn and many more. According to SDL, a millennial, on average, touches their smart phone 45 times a day! It also states that Millennials are 56% more likely to discover marketing content on social networks than via search engines or email. Five out of six Millennials in the US connect with companies on social media networks.
So in regards to internet marketing and medical practices, if you don’t have an efficient social media strategy, or don’t even have your business on any social media sites, you are already behind when it comes to marketing to Millennials. Social Media is all about branding and engagement; what your brand shares in its own values with its consumer. The reason why most Millennials follow a company, or like it, is because they believe in what they stand for. Basically, every one of my friends wears shoes made by Nike. We all follow Nike online as well as our friend’s local clothing store and buy our shoes from him- not directly from Nike. We believe in him, his brand, what he represents in the community, and what he is trying to do.
That relationship is no different than what your medical practice needs to build with its community and its patients. You need to give them a reason to want to engage with you, trust you (As Millennials in the US happen to be seven times more likely to provide their personal information to a trusted Brand (SDL)) and most importantly buy your product or services.
A Few things to Engage Millennials via Social Media
Millennials love picture or video contests, more opportunities to use the selfie stick the better. Interactive quizzes are also a great way to get a millennial to supply there information to you. Reposting contests are also a great way to get them to not only notice you but repost your brand or product to all their friends, which increases your exposure. You will find most Millennials are on Facebook, but are probably more active in twitter, Instagram and snap chat. Reason being everyone is on Facebook, their parents, my 12 year old niece, and even both of my grandparents who are 73+. With that said if you’re specifically targeting them you would most likely have a better response through Twitter and Instagram.
Millennials and Websites
The cold hard truth is that for most Millennials if there first experience with your company or brand isn’t pleasing or engaging. Which 9 times out of 10 will be through a screen meaning there phone, tablet, and computer. They will most likely never return. As a millennial myself my first interaction with most companies or services I am inquiring about is through the web or social media to see there reviews and what my friends say. If I happen to see your website doesn’t function well, I read multiple bad reviews or one of my friends had a bad experience with your company or service you are immediately discredited.
If you have a well-designed website, and it passes googles new mobile friendly update. You are most likely all set. However a well-designed and engaging website is critical to how a millennial perceives your company. If there is any indication that your website is really old ( ex. Flash, fixed width websites) or any other outdated technology. This immediately makes a millennial think this medical practice or companies out of date, doesn’t have updated technology or services, and therefore is easily forgettable.
Sweye.com is a great example of a website that is technologically advanced enough to exceed a Millennials expectations but bold a big enough to make it easy for the older generations as well to navigate. This website also was voted the best Healthcare Website of 2015.
Conclusion:
If your practice is trying to target Millennials, I suggest you take a look at your website and social media outlets. Keep in mind my points above about how they want to engage with you and want to relate with you.