Millennials—who are loosely considered to be members of the generation born between 1982 and 2000—are quite frequently one of the most difficult groups to design a brand around. We are full of contradictions, lose interest in things rather quickly, and are generally un-phased by overly-contrived marketing schemes.
Yet, we have also been recognized as a generation who—perhaps a bit too romantically—hopes to and believes that we can someday change the world. We tend to value organizations that are trying to do something more than simply enrich their primary shareholders, and this certainly includes non-profit organizations.
If you are in charge of a non-profit organization who is having trouble trying to design a brand or marketing campaign targeting millennials, you are certainly not alone. Though there may not be one clear ‘formula’ for creating a successful campaign—we tend to not like to do things by the book—there are a few basic steps you can take that will get your organization pointed in the right direction.
Have a mission statement that inspires hope for the future
As has been the case with previous generations, millennials tend to have a greater interest in the future than we do in the past. If you are trying to create a brand that is to successfully appeal to millennials, you are going to want to show that you are not just the premier organization of today, but you are going to be the premier organization of tomorrow.
Be bold with your mission statement. Even if it is something that seems out of reach, we at least want something we can be reaching for.
Ours is a generation that is attracted to bold ideas. Romanticism is alive and well in the 21st Century, and your mission statement should reflect that. Sure, you probably can’t do something as drastic as ‘eliminate global poverty in the next five years’, but you can do something like ‘dramatically improve the quality of life for the world’s poorest people’.
Nobody is expecting your organization to be perfect. There are many people, however, who expect your organization to be striving for perfection. Think about the best case scenario for what your organization could conceivably accomplish, and make that the driving force behind your mission. Even if it is something far beyond your reach in the status quo, you will at least attract a lot of interest for your ambition.
Use social media to establish your brand
Though we usually prefer not to be generalized, it seems it is certainly fair to say that social media is a major component of many millennials’ lives. For better or for worse, social media is where a substantial portion of millennials get their news, keep track of their friends, and learn about new things. Naturally, if you are an organization that is trying to attract our interest, the importance of your social media presence cannot be overstated.
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In order to dominate the world of social media, there are a few things you must be able to do:
- Regularly create content that people will find interesting and actually want to share
- Be concise
- Establish yourself on as many social media platforms—especially Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat—as you possibly can
- Be actively engaged with your target audience, and allow them to become directly engaged with your brand themselves
- Be consistent, creative, and somehow different.
Naturally, depending on what it is that your specific non-profit organization is hoping to accomplish, you may need to adjust this approach. But these general rules of thumb ought to get you pointed in the right direction.
Create opportunities to help beyond simply giving money
One of the most important things you can do as a non-profit organization is diversify your opportunities for involvement. Not only do you want to have as many different people involved with your organization as you possibly can (the grassroots approach), but you also want to make sure there are different ways they can get involved.
It is your job to make it easy to get involved with your organization. If somebody wants to help, you need to make sure they will be able to help.
As the generation of individuals who have most recently graduated from high school and college, most millennials do not have a lot of money to give. If we are going to be giving, it is probably going to be limited to a small one-time donation or a monthly donation that is even smaller. But what we do have is both time and an active willingness to better our world.
There are a number of non-monetary ways people can actively get involved. Create (and promote) events that people can easily go to and will want to bring their friends along. Come up with a creative way for people to willingly promote your brand on social media. Establish some sort of drive that involves clothes, food, or other non-monetary resources.
These are just a few ideas. Even though many of us have very limited surplus funds to spare, establishing a relationship with us while we are young and inspired will put you in a situation where we will someday want to be giving you money, too. Furthermore, the more recognized your brand becomes, the more poised you will be for achieving long-term success.
Be sincere
Because we are the generation that has perhaps grown more numb to the media, marketing schemes, and people asking for money than any other, we can be very reluctant to respond at times. There are millions of non-profit organizations out there asking for our money, and there is really only so much we can do. We are naturally hesitant because we cannot possibly help them all.
If there is one thing your average millennial can spot from a mile away it’s a phony. Though producing sincerely good work is going to take a lot more effort, it is going to pay off over time. Show us that your brand is making a positive difference in the world. Show us how we can actually become a part of that positive difference. Empower us to get off the couch and actually get to work.
It may not be easy. But it certainly is possible. Your brand exists upon a frontier of seemingly infinite opportunity, and the rest is up to you.