Millennials are having a growing influence on organisations. Businesses therefore need to keep pace with social media and make it part of customer service. Customer engagement and online customer care should not be underestimated.
The generation gap and the personal touch
Our client Verint recently conducted a large-scale study. One of its main findings was that, despite the shift towards digital channels, consumers still prefer personal contact with organisations. There are generational differences, however. Millennials, described in this 2016 article as people aged 15 to 35, have a greater preference for digital tools such as mobile apps and messaging services and spend more time online than older generations. They also actively contact organisations online, increasingly through social media. Personal interaction is therefore needed in the digital world too.
Social media meets PR
In PR, we see growing opportunities to complement traditional media relations with digital approaches, including SEO and social media. How can businesses incorporate these into their PR strategy? And how can they involve millennials in their social communication? Here are three tips.
1. Keep it simple
One golden rule is to keep things simple. Think about why your business uses social media and why your audience uses it. In general, you want to reach people, rather than explain every detail of your solution. Social media is not always the right place for detailed specifications and complicated terminology.
People often use social media for entertainment, rather than in-depth information. If they are specifically looking for detailed information, they are more likely to visit your website directly.
2. Create a dialogue
Personal contact remains important in a digital world. Bring that personal approach online by talking with consumers through your social channels. Answer questions through online customer care, but also give people a reason to respond. Polls, statements for discussion and competitions are all possibilities.
For our client Lufthansa, we introduced “The Battle of the Destinations”, asking consumers to choose between two destinations. We regularly put two locations head to head and invited users to vote for their favourite. This asks consumers for their opinion, and our experience showed they were happy to share it.
3. Offer relevant content and follow the latest trends
Millennials follow your channels for a reason, so keep them interested. If you are a software company, communicate about topics connected with your solutions. Is privacy important to your business, and do you have a strong story to tell? Make it a topic on social media and demonstrate your expertise. Relevant hashtags are one starting point, among many other possibilities.
Think from the outside in. Communicate from your audience’s interests rather than starting with your product. For the same reason, follow developments in your field closely so you can respond to relevant trends.
Are your customers increasingly looking for direct contact through social media, and are you unsure how to organise it? Social communication can work for both B2B and B2C businesses. We would be happy to help you take practical steps. Contact our Benelux PR agency, and we can talk it through over a good cup of coffee.
Corinna
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