Use Effective Video Marketing To Connect With Millennials

You’ve likely heard a lot about Millennials, but when it comes to marketers, we’re often most focused on how to connect with them effectively! 

Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials (also known as Generation Y and the Net Generation) are 26 to 41 years old in 2022. According to Statista, there are 72.19 million Millennial residents in the U.S., making up 21.75% of the entire country’s population. 

This, of course, makes Gen Y a huge target for marketing teams around the globe. So, how can you reach them? Here, we’ll explore the most effective ways to reach Millennials through your video marketing strategies.

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What Content Types Resonate Best With Millennials?

Educational Content

One of the reasons Millennials turn to social media and the internet in general is to learn something new. 

According to Think With Google, “70% of millennial users watched YouTube in the past year to learn how to do something new or learn more about something they’re interested in.” Since you know your audience is interested in this kind of content, take this opportunity to give it to them! 

In this educational Rosetta Stone example, the brand uses upbeat music, humor, and interesting facts to keep their audience engaged. With a theme of Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland, they explore local words, share some facts about the celebration, and showcase common activities for the day. Plus, this is the perfect example of an educational and entertaining video! 

User-Generated Content 

Similar to Gen Z, Millennials crave authenticity from brands, which is why user-generated content (UGC) and UGC-like content is effective. Since many Millennials spend a good chunk of their time on YouTube, they’re likely familiar with how-to, unboxing, and similar content, so it’s no surprise that UGC is such a powerful tool. 

Millennial consumers want to feel an intimate, personal connection with brands just like yours, and these videos establish instant credibility and trust by instigating social proof. Popularized by a psychologist in the 1980s, social proof is when consumers see or hear about someone enjoying a product, or a professional recommending a service, and that testimonial encourages them to want it for themselves.

While UGC is, by definition, created by users, many brands are now leading the production process. So whether you use textbook UGC or produce UGC-like content, you can still convey authority to increase feelings of trust — all while making your videos more affordable than other concepts. 

In this Once Upon a Farm example, UGC allows viewers to see how the product positively impacts the customers. By showing how these products make breakfast (and life in general) easier for busy families, the brand solves a significant pain point for their audience. With this strategy, Once Upon a Farm hopes to show customers genuinely enjoying their products, so other families might want to give them a try as well! 

Personalized Promotional Content 

Though you may have heard Millennials don’t like seeing advertisements, that’s not entirely true. Millennials don’t like seeing irrelevant advertisements. 

Instead of talking about the general market your business is in, create a more refined message to discuss your individual products and the benefits they provide your customers. A 2018 Statista study found 57% of Millennials believe online advertising is becoming more relevant to them, which helps improve the overall experience of digital marketing. 

And, now, you have several ways your business can share personalized content. You might, for example, want to implement content with influencers, which 23% of Millennials have said affects the clothing items they purchase. Or, you might want to (or already do!) run online or social media ads, which influence 29% of the same purchasing decisions, according to Statista. 

For example, this Cirkul ad directly promotes the product by discussing its benefits and the pain point of the average consumer. You can refine and target your audience by understanding this pain point and the people who want a solution. Certain audience segment tools can also help you reach this audience! 

What Kinds of Content Should Your Business Consider Using?

Appealing Product Marketing Video Content

Product marketing is a key way to promote your products, services, and benefits to your target audience. Since 86.2% of Millennials are digital shoppers, getting your brand in front of them online is essential. 

Plus, 76% of Millennials said offers and promotions from brands helped them view brands in a positive way, according to Statista, so keep this in mind when creating your video production. 

One great way to show off your products is to put them into action! This Hearst Media example pairs a Harper’s Bazaar editor and a Neiman Marcus senior director to showcase some of the brand’s most popular products for the upcoming season. Using different pieces to style the outfits in the video creates more opportunities for the audience to find at least one piece or outfit they like! 

Joyful Holiday Content

Just like we’ve discussed throughout the blog, Millennials purchasing decisions are highly influenced by the social media content they see and engage with — and that’s no different during the holidays. According to Statista, 81% of Millennials turn to at least one social media platform to get inspiration for their holiday shopping, so social media content will be especially critical during these promotional seasons. 

You’ll want to include a holiday-specific message when you create your holiday videos. While it might seem obvious, it’s essential. We used QuickFrame Video Vitals to analyze video content and found social video ads with holiday messaging had a 58% higher engagement rate during the holiday season than those without. 

This Poshmark video ad is a great example of a subtle yet engaging holiday video. After opening with a relatable experience, the ad walks viewers through a simplified version of the user experience. While they can’t capture the whole experience in this seven-second video, it still gives potential users an idea of what to expect from Poshmark. 

Engaging CTV and OTT Content

Connected TV, also known as CTV, refers to any television with the ability to connect to the internet. This trend started in the mid to late 2000s and has become a daily part of many of our lives. 

Similar to CTV is Over-the-Top (OTT), which refers to content that goes “over” your cable box to give you access to TV content using an internet connection instead of a cable cord or satellite by traditional broadcast providers. OTT content can be viewed on any device, while CTV content is strictly shown on television screens. 

In 2022, there are 60.5 million Millennial CTV users in the U.S., and this number is expected to continue growing. Statista expects the number of users to rise to 62.6 million by 2025. Clearly, CTV and OTT advertisements provide a huge opportunity to reach your audience with living room quality video content. 

Let’s take a look at this example from Prose. In just 30 seconds, this brand provides a look into the personalization they offer and the benefits of their products. In addition, with a person speaking directly to the audience, more people are inclined to feel like the product has been verified by a real person, which can help create trust in your brand. This social proof is doubled by including the five-star reviews at the end of the ad. 

This ad is a great example of an effective CTV ad, as it is engaging, helps build trust, and shows the products. Once this content is in front of the right audiences, it can help Prose reach new and returning customers. 

Connect With Your Millennial Audience

Millennials have a ton of content to choose from. Between social media, watching CTV, and spending time on YouTube, they have their digital hands full! To get their attention, you need to create appealing content to keep users engaged from beginning to end. 

Creating this content for video marketing, however, can come with roadblocks. Traditionally, scaling your video content has come with high prices and long wait times. 

We’re here to change that! At QuickFrame, we believe businesses of all sizes should have the opportunity to create engaging video content all year long. So we created an end-to-end platform to connect brands like yours with the world’s best video Makers and production teams who are ready to create content that helps you reach your audience, meet your goals, and grow your business. 

Ready to get started? Contact us today!