The millennial generation is defined by the emergence of the internet, an interest in self and social values, and an active pursuit of high social standards. For many brands, they are the main target group they need to know as much as possible about. So in today's article we'll give you some advice on how they have it with online reviews.
By 2025, millennials will be the largest group of working-age people in the country...
... which gives brands a clear incentive to fine-tune their idea of their target group as much as possible. This is because millennials, the generation born between 1982 and 1994, are the ideal mix of interest in new trends with growing economic stability, and they behave in a unique way in the marketplace as a result:
- Compared to previous generations, they are much more likely to buy experiences. Dinner, travel, entertainment, movies - anything that makes them feel like they're living life to the fullest.
- If they do buy products, they actively look out for brands that are socially responsible. If not, it's a dealbreaker for them, even if the offer is a bargain.
- They don't just buy products from brands, they buy values that they want to identify with.
- Compared to previous generations, they are spending less on cars, jewellery, clothes and saving much less for retirement.
- And digital brands will be pleased to know that more than half of millennials' purchases are made online and 42% directly from mobile.
For reviews, it's all about visual content and social proof
The specific preferences in numbers look like this:
- More than half are primarily interested in text reviews. They need to be reassured not only of the product's qualities, but also that they share values and worldview with other buyers.
- They care more about the quantity of reviews than recency. But reviews older than a year still put off nearly 70% of them.
- 89% of millennials need to see some visual real life content before they buy. Whether it's a photo or a video, either way they will see what the product looks like in everyday use and verify that others are using it in the same way.
- Authenticity above all else. 80% of millennials fear negative reviews and appreciate it if a brand actively fights them.
- Millennials write far more reviews than previous generations. Mostly due to positive (or unfortunately negative) experiences, the ability to help others is also very important to them.