Look around the next time you’re in a coffee shop, airport, bookstore or public area and you’ll see Millennials (often called Gen Ys) pecking away on their smart phones or iPads like there wasn’t another human being around for miles.
However, just because Generation Ys are completely absorbed in technology that doesn’t mean the only way to reach them is through social media or integrated email campaigns.
Lamont Swittenberg, managing director at Luminosity Marketing, says, “Sending something by direct mail is a way of breaking through the clutter because they receive so much communication that comes digitally, and you still can’t replace the personal touch from direct mail.”
Learn how to execute a winning strategy with Direct Mail
To engage Gen Ys most effectively, marketers should recognize that Gen Ys read printed materials with a different “lens” than baby boomers.
Jason Ryan Dorsey, author of “Y-Size Your Business,” explains that Gen Ys (born between 1977 and 1995) prefer pictures and directions to an online video rather than long blocks of text or explanation or background info.
10 Ways to Engage Gen Ys with Print:
- Personalize it. Use variable data printing to ensure you’re speaking to Gen Ys personally.
- Keep it visual (infographics are received well among Gen Ys).
- Treat them like a VIP.
- Make them feel deserving.
- Connect them to a cause or part of a community for the greater good
- Believe in them.
- Add a QR Code® or drive them to your social media sites.
- Make it interactive.
- Create a daring but relevant appeal. Read Gen Y targeted whitepaper, No Guts, No Glory, for bold ideas from Joeri Van den Bergh, Gen Y expert.
Chances are your office is at least half filled with Gen Ys. So run the copy by an associate before finalizing your multi-channel campaign. Believe me, they will tell you exactly how they feel about your message and if it resonates with them or not.
If you would like to learn more about how to effectively send direct mail, download our free ebook, The NextPage Guide to Direct Mail Success.
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