Writing for millennials? Not sure how to tap other audiences while targeting millennials? In fact, according to U.S. Census Bureau, Millennials overtook Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation by population as of July 2019. But in order to know how to write for millennials, we need to know, are they? That is the main reason why writing for Millennials is so important.
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On this page, you’ll learn about the following:
Who are Millennials?
Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. To add, millennials can be categorized as people who were born from a period of 1981-1996, according to the Pew Research Centre. Also, look at the following chart to see who are Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Z.
| Generation | Silent Generation | Baby Boomers | Generation X | Millennials (Generation Y) | Generation Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Year | 1928 – 1945 | 1946-1964 | 1965-1980 | 1981-1996 | 1997-2012 |
| Age in 2020 | 75 to 92 | 56 to 74 | 40 to 55 | 24 to 39 | 9 to 23 |
The following were the major generations and their population as of July 2019, US:
- Millennials – 72.1 million
- Boomers – 71.6 million
- Generation X – 65.2 million
By 2028, it is projected that the Generation X will pass the population of Boomers.
Learn writing for Millennials
What makes writing for millennials different from other generations? The purchasing powers of Millennials are estimated to be $170 billion, every millennial sends about 20 texts a day and 80% of them sleep with a phone next to them. In particular, 14% of them use twitter and 88% of them use at least one social media network. Sounds pretty interesting, right?
Millennials are well educated, outgoing, familiar with digital technology and believe in 24X7 online communication. More than half of them think that technology helps them use their time more efficiently. On the other hand, Generation X and Baby Boomers are not so open to digital technology and familiar with social media. While millennials have a low attention span, they are flooded with information from Google, emails, social media, and the news. So tapping this group of the generation is very important, and when you try to tap them other generations won’t mind at all.
1. Make writing for Millennials visually appealing
According to Hubspot, Internet users judge a website in one-fifth of a second. Subsequently, you want to write in a way that is visually appealing, neat and tidy along with quality content. The younger generation considers cluttered, chaotic content as unprofessional, and does not like to deal with them. Additionally, when visiting a website, designing the website professionally can earn you a lot of brownie points. A website that is poorly designed can be considered as a hoax and users wouldn’t trust it.
2. Be to the point
Millennials when looking for certain information want to the point, specific and precise answers to their query. They don’t want cool, fantasy stories or beating around the bush. So make sure that the title and the description accurately match the content and are relevant. In short try to write what they want to read, so that more and more millennials visit your website and want to read about it. Similarly using trusted sources for your content is another important point.
Millennials are known for boasting about their interests and interesting content on social media. They can become a great asset for your word of mouth marketing. So whether it’s an app, blog or video that you are providing them, make sure that you include easy sharable options with them on social media.
Having a nice thumbnail or page would boost sharing on social media and draw even new users to your website. Particularly, try using a website URL which is easy to remember and have a well-polished website to keep drawing them again and again to your website.
4. Use a good tone when writing for millennials
Millennials when they read or watch something, they don’t want to be preached, they want to learn something and take something back from it. So use a tone that is informal yet easy to read. Don’t use very difficult words, which will want them to find a dictionary and nobody has the time to do that. So try to keep it to the point while using a tone that is pro learning and casual. Talk and write like a human, they are not robots.
5. Proofread
Haters gonna hate. Millennials are totally against people who make spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. You surely don’t want to be trolled, right? So before you launch your blog or vlog or even write on social media, make sure you edit it. Get additional insights on the content from your family or friends of the same age group. This will not only help you improve but also can provide you with some other interesting ideas.
6. Keep it updated and global
While millennials are popularly known for having low attention spans, it is important to highlight important things. Try gaining their attention right from the very beginning so that they can go through your content entirely. So then once their attention is grabbed, make sure your writing is up to date with the latest trends and with a global perspective.
7. Focus on readability when writing for Millennials
Make sure that your writing is readable and has easy access to them. Once you master the art of writing for millennials, they will keep coming back to you again and again. While they are die-hard fans of authenticity and against ads, keep a conversational tone. Also since they are in favor of pop culture, so if you can write a serious topic with day to day examples and meme references, they are going to love you.
Writing for millennials basically revolves around understanding their needs, interests, and attitudes. With the Internet being so competitive and a thousand search results being just a click away, it is difficult to gain their attention. But use the advice above to master writing for them. Once millennials accept you, other generations will automatically flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is freelance writing for millennials?
As millennials, you might feel that you have a lot of information and skills available. You want to tap all the opportunities available to you. But you can’t maintain a full-time job with a work-life balance? You feel your job doesn’t pay you enough. Then you can tap into the world of Freelance Writing. You can use various sources like ‘Fiverr‘, ‘Freelancer‘, and ‘Peopleperhour’ to find various opportunities like SEO Optimization, Website Designing, Content Writing, App Development, or providing Resume Writing services online to a plethora of clients. You can also start earning using just your laptop!
Benefits of Freelance writing:
- Work-life balance
- Flexible work schedule
- Advancement of skills
- Have multiple income sources
- Have higher job satisfaction
- Following your passion
- Have a lot of free time for family and hobbies
Is it worth pursing Millennials as customers? Do they actually have money?
Do you also feel that people in the age group of 24 to 39 might not have enough money to become your customers? Millennials are the front runners for wealth accumulation and are in their spending phase. With enough disposable income, if you have something concrete to offer them, they will buy it. In fact, it would be easier to convenience a Millennial to buy something rather than a Generation X who might be more skeptical about it. They will be your customers. The only condition is to offer them something worth buying.
What will happen when they are no longer a millennial?
Our chat clearly illustrates who is a millennial. Now, these generations are divided on the basis of their birth year, not age. So even if someone turns 40, they will still be a millennial as you can’t change their birth year. This particular group continues to behave in the same ways fundamentally even if they grow older. Hence if you are able to tap them once, you can continue reaping benefits even later on.
What can I best add to the above tips to writing for millennials?
Did you know more than 41% of millennials actually read FAQ before turning for customer support? This could be a great benefit for you. It not only helps you reduce costs but also solves problems without directly reaching to them. So make sure when writing for millennials to include a FAQ section. In addition, you can also provide an option to reach you. This could be either through a ‘Contact Us’ form, email ID, phone number, or even an address.
We hoped this article helped you, you can also read other articles at 501words.net. Read how to properly use ‘Oppossum vs Possum‘, ‘Concave vs Convex‘, and ‘Further vs Farther‘.
Conclusion
For the most part, writing for millennials is different from writing for other generations. With their iPhones, selfies, and social presence, they are a huge market. If you are not tapping them, you are missing out. So it is very important to write appropriately for them using all the tips in this guide. Start tapping this age group today, to reap benefits now as well as in the future. You can also bookmark this page for future reference for writing for them. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for writing for the biggest demographic group by age!