Moving at the speed of Millennials
Getting the tribe on board with your brand
As a generation of influencers, Millennials mean an awful lot to your bottom line. Plenty of things excite them and they’re not shy about sharing. They know if something’s lit (or not.) They’ve got a firm grasp on expectation vs. reality. They get what “Retweet to save a life” means and they love when something gives them #allthefeels. Engaging Millennials with your brand has to happen quickly, otherwise they’ve moved on to something else before you can say “buckle up.” The key is to bring them closer to the culture that matters most to them and to get them there as fast as possible. Canadian Millennials use different social platforms for different reasons, but they choose Twitter more often when they want to know what’s happening — when they want an instant connection to the people and things they care about. After all, Twitter is the birthplace of so much of their culture. Think hashtags (#relationshipgoals). Think trends (#MannequinChallenge). Think celebrity responses to popular memes (who doesn’t want to watch Ryan Gosling eating cereal?). Twitter is also their ideal platform through which to connect with your brand — and that, you might say, makes Twitter your new best friend.
Canadian Millennials
use Twitter more often when they want to know what’s happening
Moving at the speed of Millennials
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#Millennials: A generation of influencers
#reach
Canadian Millennials are interested in a lot of things — especially what’s new and trending, celebrities, and experiences — and they’re more than happy to share those interests. They’re on Twitter en masse (half of Canadian users are under 35). They have an average of 277 followers each and 8 in 10 actively tweet. They also earn a lot (51% of those who make more than $100,000 are on Twitter) and they spend a lot, which makes them a critical market with huge buying power, great reach, and a ton of influence.
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Twitter is cool for any time you want to see what’s up.
A News Network
Twitter users Non-users % use at least once a day to receive news/information Television shows or news broadcasts
64%
n/a 46%
Online newspapers/ news sites Dedicated news app
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cbc.ca
Printed newspaper or magazines
30% 36%
20% 17% 19%
51%
30% 29%
45+ 29%
35-44 21%
Half of Canadian Twitter users are <35 years old 18-34 46%
Why Canadian Millennials use Twitter … and why you should care
Twitter User
2-17 5%
61%
Social media is about so much more than just being social. It’s also about learning and growing, which is why Millennials turn to Twitter as a sort of “modern newspaper” where they can find out what’s happening from a bunch of different perspectives and weigh in with their own. Millennials have made Twitter their #1 place to check what’s trending, their #1 platform to follow the discussion and — critically — their #1 way to interact with brands. #Speed is crucial. Millennials move fast, and they need a social-media platform that moves as fast as they do. When #connection is key, Twitter is the best way to rally people around a common cause. For #learning and #sharing, there’s no better way to spread the word and find out what’s happening. With all those followers and all that influence, Canadian Millennials are also very receptive to brand messaging. So, when it comes to #discovery, Twitter is able to promote brand love like there’s no tomorrow.
Twitter is breaking news. It’s so quick. It’s satisfying to be in the loop. Twitter User
Moving at the speed of Millennials
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#MarketingGoals: Shaking things up for the Millennial market Because Millennials are using Twitter to find new products and services, reaching this audience on their own turf is key. Two-thirds of Millennials on Twitter say social media helps them discover new products — that’s on par with those who look to their friends (67%) for help. Twitter also helps Millennials decide what to buy and drives them to action. In fact, 71% of Canadian Millennials have taken action because of an ad on Twitter.
How can you tap into #MillennialsOnTwitter?
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#brandlove
% who use platform to interact with companies/brands they love
Drop new stuff, be prepared, be present
46% 45% 39% 14%
Seeing breaking news about products is the #1 reason Canadian Millennials follow brands, so it’s critical to make Twitter an integral part of product launches and updates.
17%
2 Twitter is most likely to be used to follow celebrity and entertainment news. % who use platform to follow entertainment/celebrity news
58% 40% 56% 34% 31%
Elevate your brand to celebrity status
Discovery and information-seeking are a big part of the Millennial mindset and since Twitter is the #1 social-media platform for celebrity news, your brand can have high profile on Twitter too. One in four Millennials say Twitter ads are a nice distraction from their (personally curated) feeds, giving marketers a huge opportunity to connect with consumers in a meaningful way. Discovery and information-seeking are a big part of the Millennial mindset — and since Twitter is the #1 social-media platform for celebrity news, your brand needs a high profile on Twitter, too. Here are a few things you can do to get started: • Start a trend and get your audience involved • Connect and engage with advocates • Stand behind a cause (because Millennials love to believe in things)
Moving at the speed of Millennials
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Lean in and win with live events
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Millennials love Twitter for live events — either in person or on screen — so it’s important to lean into these moments. Whether it’s an awards show, the playoffs, or a music festival, live video is a great way to bring events to life for those who can’t be there in person.
Twitter is the first choice for following discussion while watching live events. Reasons for using platforms Follow the discussion about a live/televised event
46% 34%
Want to bring Millennials closer to the action and conversation about what’s happening? Add something they can’t get elsewhere, like exclusive insider access, expert commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, or related content.
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14% 20% 27% Engage in conversation about a live/televised event
Live conversation about events: it’s great for things that are inherently in the moment. Twitter User
41% 39% 17% 23% 15%
Key takeaways Millennials want to be a part of what’s happening, and marketers need to reach them in ways that validate that desire. They want to feel valued as individuals, not as part of a technology-obsessed bunch born somewhere between 1982 and 2004. And they don’t need just another place to buy stuff — they want to be able to relate to brands they understand and respect. In order to earn Millennials’ hearts (and wallets), find them where they live and interact with them on their terms. Be present, be relevant, and insert yourself into the conversation. In other words, give them #allthefeels, and you’ll get that back in spades. When you’re ready to start leveraging the undeniable economic power of the Millennial generation, Twitter has a full suite of opportunities that’ll help you do just that.
Ready to get started? Visit marketing.twitter.com for more information Follow @TwitterCanada to keep on top of what’s new in Canada Follow @TwitterAds for tips and best practices for advertising in Canada
Moving at the speed of Millennials
4 Source: Twitter Teens & Millennials Research, Canada, 2017