Online marketing to Millennials: the moving Target

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Millennials are the first generation to be raised with online media. As young adults, ages 18 to 34, these digital natives quickly adopt new technologies, then adapt them to fit their lifestyles. Today, 78% of millennial internet users engage with social media, including blogs, microblogs, social networks, and photo- and video-sharing sites, according to a Harris Poll.

While sharing opinions, experiences and photos seems compulsory to this cohort, it is a myth that they do not care about their privacy online. As the first generation to grow up engulfed by the internet, they have become more vigilant in managing and monitoring how their information is used, and by whom. Do not mistake heavy social network usage as a sign of trust, or naivete.

Many marketers are struggling to find the best ways to use social media to reach millennials. The vast majority who choose to measure fans, friends and followers as a metric of success are bound to be disappointed. Millennials value experiences and engagement with brands, and will talk about those things within their social circles. They tend to “like” and then “un-like” as easily as they adopt, then drop various technologies and sites.

Key questions this report answers:

What do millennials think about online advertising and marketing? What media most appeals to this digital generation? Which is more valuable to a brand marketer, a real customer or a Facebook fan? As they grow older, how will their use of the internet change? Millennials are the first generation to be raised with online media. As young adults, ages 18 to 34, these digital natives quickly adopt new technologies, then adapt them to fit their lifestyles. Today, 78% of millennial internet users engage with social media, including blogs, microblogs, social networks, and photo- and video-sharing sites, according to a Harris Poll.

US Internet Users Who Use Social Media*, by Age, April 2010 (% of respondents)

Morning Social Media Behaviors of US Social Media Users, by Age, 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Post-Bedtime Social Media Behaviors of US Social Media Users, by Age, 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Social Media Sites Used Regularly by US Social Media Users, by Age, December 2009 (% of respondents)

US Internet Users Ages 18-29 Who Trust Select Brands vs. the Media, June 2010 (% of respondents)

US Internet Users Who Subscribe to Opt-In E-Mails, Are Fans of Brands on Facebook or Follow Brands on Twitter, by Age, April 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

US Social Network Users, by Age, 2010 & 2014 (millions and % of total)

Social Network Site Use Among US Millennials, by Age, January 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Time Spent on the Internet vs. Time Spent on Facebook, by Age, May 2010 (hours per week by US internet users)

Frequency of Social Network* Usage Among US Generation Y Internet Users, by Age and Gender, March 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Amount of Time US Social Network Users Feel They Can Trust Social Networking Sites, by Age, September 2009 (% of respondents)

Attitudes Toward Personal Information on Facebook, 2010 (% of US female social media users)

Personal Information US Social Media Users Share*, by Age, April 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

US Internet Users Who Believe Social Networking Sites Are a Form of Entertainment, by Age, March 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

US Blog Readers and Writers*, by Generation, March 2010 (% of respondents)

Time Spent Watching TV, Online Video and Mobile Video in the US, by Age, Q1 2010 (hrs:mins)

Types of Media Used Yesterday by US Consumers, by Age, January 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Select Activities of US Adults in the Past 24 Hours, by Generation, January 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

How Social Media Has Replaced Traditional Sources of Content for Young Women, 2010 (% of US female social media users*)

Amount of Time US Social Network Users Feel They Can Trust News Websites, by Age, September 2009 (% of respondents)Attitudes Toward Media Channels

Attitudes* Toward TV, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)

Attitudes* Toward Newspapers Among US Millennials vs. Total Adults, Dec 2009 (% of respondents in each group)

Attitudes* Toward Magazines, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)Influences on Purchase Decisions

Attitudes* Toward the Internet, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)

Channels Used Most by US Consumers to Learn About Products and Brands, by Age, January 2010 (% of respondents)

Factors that Influence US Social Media Users to Start an Online Search for a Specific Product/Service, by Age, December 2009 (% of respondents)

Media that Influence* the Purchase Decisions of US Millennial** Internet Users, March 2010 (% of respondents)

Frequent Online Purchase Activities of US Generation Y Internet Users, by Age and Gender, March 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Types of Ads and Information Referred to When Shopping in a Store*, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)

UK and US Millennial Internet Users' Opinion Whether Great Ads Affect a Purchase Decision, Feb 2010 (% of respondents)

Attitudes* Toward Advertising, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)

Types of Media on Which US Internet Users Hate Advertising, by Age, April 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Attitudes* Toward TV Advertising, Dec 2009 (% of US millennials vs. total adults)

Frequency of Clicking on Select Online Ads, Dec 2009 (% of US millennial internet users vs. total internet users)Are Marketers Getting the Social Media Message?

Primary Social Media Goal in 2010 (% of US marketers)

Social Media Metrics Tracked, Apr 2010 (% of US marketers)