Millennials comprise around a quarter of the US population, or 77 million people born between the years 1977 and 1995. They are larger than the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and three times the size of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1976). They are early digital adapters, content creators and users, adventure seekers, healthy-lifestyle wannabes, peer affirmation cravers and social media addicts. Millennials are constantly “switched on”– 83% sleep with their phones right next to their beds, send on average 20 texts per day and post status updates from the bathroom – 32% don’t regret admitting to this!

According to a report by PEW Research, 84% of millennials are on Facebook, 31% are on Twitter, 37% are on Instagram and 27% are Pinterest – outpacing their older counterparts by far. As marketers and ambassadors of brands, we must take advantage of this sea of millennials and all of the “me, me, me” thoughts they so generously broadcast on their social media platform(s) of choice.

 We‘ve all been to cocktail parties where, at a certain time of night, the conversations take a left turn and comments get crazy. Just like those left field comments that are ever-so common at cocktail parties, social media is a world where unsolicited opinions about your brand, competitors and the latest trends live. And what group is most likely to comment, share, like, pass along? Millennials.

 Marketers and brands alike need to ditch the old mentality that consumers will come to them to talk about what they want (or rather what they want to hear) when they need to. To millennials, voicing these opinions on social platforms is convenient and easy – 20% update their Facebook status multiple times per day.   So subsequently the unsolicited feedback for brands abounds.

 To better understand how your brand is perceived by this mercurial millennial target, social media monitoring and listening is a must in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape. “Likes” and number of followers aren‘t actually as impactful as what’s actually being said (whether positive, negative or neutral). After all, social media to millennials is an integral part of their daily lives. They hold the power to directly influence your brand and competitors’ conversation.

 When we start to dive deeper than the number of likes and followers on owned brand pages, we can truly understand what’s being said, why it’s being said, when it’s being said, where it’s being said and who’s saying it on a more influential level.  This will ultimately lead to more accurate and meaningful engagements that consumers seek from brands.

Through social media monitoring and listening, your brand can:

• Analyze your brand’s share of voice against its competitive set
• Engage with your target audiences through real-time monitoring
• Understand how your target audience is perceiving your brand and your marketing efforts through emerging trends and topics
• Discover key stakeholders and influencers discussing your brand
• Learn where people discuss your brand the most and how often they are having these conversations
• Uncover the interests and passions of consumers, other than your own brand 
• Realize the true impact of your brand’s marketing efforts

 As millennials continue to age, their spending power is increasing annually; thus, brands that monitor and listen to this influential faction will be in the best position to capitalize on the opportunities presented. Overlaying millenials’ unprecedented social data will provide deeper and more actionable insights, allowing you to join the brand conversation with them at a more meaningful level.

To find out more about how you can optimize your brand’s value by social media monitoring and millennial engagement, contact Briana at brianag@theswitch.us.