Attracting Millennials to Network Marketing

Many networkers do not understand how to effectively attract and engage a young audience in business, as they do not seem to react to traditional marketing techniques. In the article, learn how to interest and build strong partnerships with millennials.

Who are millennials

Millennials (Generation Y) are people who were born approximately between 1980 and 2000, grew up in the era of information technology and are well-versed in it, open-minded, and do not adhere to traditional hierarchical systems.

According to the FutureCast study, millennials believe they "only live once" and, therefore, they strive to get the most out of life, enjoying it. Representatives of this generation are willing to take risks for bright experiences, set ambitious goals for themselves, and try to achieve them as quickly as possible.

By the 2020s, millennials had become the largest segment of the workforce. According to Pew Research Center data, they make up over 35% of the total U.S. workforce, and by 2030, their number will increase even more.

Why Millennials Succeed in Network Marketing

According to sociologists, millennials approach time management responsibly, are more stress-resistant, and successfully deal with work problems. The strong point of this generation is their connectivity, honesty, empathy, and developed emotional intelligence — they treat partners in a humane way, try to put themselves in their shoes, focus on personal and trusting relationships. Essentially, these are the qualities that distinguish Generation Y from older people. This is particularly noticeable in working with a team of distributors, where communication is of paramount importance.

How to Attract Millennials to Your Structure

The methods of engaging youth in business have changed, but that doesn't mean attracting their attention is more difficult or that the promotion strategy will require a larger budget — by adapting the company to millennials' thinking, you optimize marketing processes in your business as a whole. To interest them in partnership, follow these rules:

1. Abandon Aggressive Attraction Methods

Gone are the days when a simple "Only 1 spot left on the team" worked — youth are accustomed to these types of advertisements from childhood and are tired of them. Don't get carried away with aggressive attraction methods and don't impose yourself, as this will only deter millennials from the project.

Attracting millennials should not be done directly - companies need to work on their brand and reputation, prove the value of their product and its advantages against competitive analogs.

2. Communicate with millennials in their environment and in their language

Forget about advertising on billboards and television - millennials hardly pay attention to it. The best way to reach out to young people is to influence them online by combining various marketing channels such as targeting on social networks, collaborating with influencers, partnerships with other brands, etc.

It is also important to consider the convenience of the communication tools with potential distributors. According to research, millennials prefer the following communication methods (in order of importance):

- messengers (e.g., Telegram or WhatsApp);

- email;

- social media;

- phone calls or face-to-face communication.

The choice of communication tools should be based on the type of audience and the popularity of specific applications or social networks in a particular region. This is especially important when it comes to advising potential clients or partners.

3. Convey information briefly and quickly

Time is one of the most valuable resources. Millennials are very busy, switching from one task to another, and it is time that is their most valuable resource. However, this does not mean that they cannot focus and give all their attention to a task - this is a generation that can binge-watch a season of "The Walking Dead" in a day, which means they are willing to go all out for an activity they enjoy.

When trying to engage potential partners in business, optimize the ways of presenting information and the amount of it in general - by holding millennials' attention for too long, you risk boring or even repelling them. Exclude unnecessary data from the project presentation that objectively does not add any value.

4. Do not try to deceive your audience

Millennials are skilled at and enjoy fact-checking information that comes their way. Many of them are even critical of their own conclusions and beliefs. Whether you like it or not, a large part of this audience is willing to explore dozens of websites with various information about the company and its founders to learn as much as possible about the project you are trying to involve them in.

For example, before making a purchase, a millennial will read reviews about the product, watch several video reviews, and additionally ask for the opinion of their peer.

By gaining the trust and loyalty of a millennial, you will gain a true brand advocate - they are often more than willing to talk about products and companies they like.

5. Create a personal brand and act as a business coach

A developed personal brand forms a strong association between you and your business, strengthens trust from current and potential partners. To impress millennials, act as an example of a successful networker - show and tell how the project helped you solve problems, self-actualize, and earn capital.