How to Promote to Millennials With Print Marketing

Millennials are a huge audience for marketers and their spending power is set to grow. But you may be mistaken if you assume this cohort is interested in digital-only communication. Their online social and private communication streams are becoming increasingly crowded with information and advertisements, but according to a 2011 report from TRU, a division of TNS Research Global, millennials prefer paper for “basic personal and business communications.”

So how do you get this powerful buying group on your side? Here are a few ways:

Marketing With Millennials

Make use of recycled paper printing options, and be open about your efforts to be sustainable. One of the most often cited reasons among those in the TRU survey that preferred digital communication was that they viewed it to be “more environmentally friendly.” Showing that you care about social concerns like the environment is a great way to get on the good side of many millennials.

Be concise and quick in your communication. Millennials appreciate content that speaks to them in a genuine, no-nonsense tone in order to convey necessary information in a time sensitive, appealing way. They easily see through false promises and brands that try too hard to be something they’re not, so just let your brand “be itself” for the best results.

Print marketing may be ideal for financial institutions, healthcare, and any business wishing to establish itself as a trustworthy authority. The TRU study respondents said that they viewed paper as “more official” and “more trusted” than digital communications. So if you want to be the one they depend on, print is your best bet.

To encourage and earn loyalty, be sure to interconnect any digital efforts you may be pursuing. Give this audience the chance to connect with you in several different ways, and to choose the way they find most convenient and comfortable. What starts with an engaging printed brochure, catalog, or flyer can continue with a “Like” on Facebook, a “+1” on Google or a “follow” on Twitter.

Finally, ask for feedback from this tech-savvy group. They make use of online reviews and comparison shopping, and will willingly provide you with their opinion of your print pieces, products, or other marketing efforts if asked.