Our blog, 2017 Racer Conference Highlights – Engaging Millennials, is the final blog in a blog series highlighting tips from our Racer Conference in Scottsdale which we hosted in January of 2017. One of our speakers was Tiffany Hallier, Founder of Oh So Social who spoke on ways nonprofits can engage millennials who are individuals born between 1980 and 2000.
2017 Racer Conference Highlights – Engaging Millennials
- Millennials Enjoy Volunteering and Give Modestly to Multiple Social Causes. Their peers are a critical influence on millennial giving. Women give more money than men, and older individuals more than younger individuals. Making a difference in the world is more important than professional recognition.
- Main Social Media Channels. Their main social media channels are Facebook, You Tube, Instagram and Snapchat. Millennials do use Twitter but not as frequently. Millennials learn about and donate to causes digitally. The less steps they have to go through on their phone to donate, the better.
- Think of Instagram like a magazine. When you are posting content, use highly visual images that tell a compelling story and evoke emotion. Another idea for content is to include a call to action. Ask your followers to participate in your fundraising campaigns by going to the link in your bio and donate or buy a t-shirt, for example.
- Research Google Trends. Think by Google is a great resource includes data that Google is exploring and the trends they are tracking along with behind the scenes looks at digital campaigns – across industries, platforms and audiences.
- Read Millennial Impact Reports. The website Millenialimpact.com offers readers insights into how the Millennial generation connects with, gets involved with and supports causes.
- Millennials Love Video. They value authenticity over the content itself and there are few things more authentic than live streaming.
- Create Advisory Boards. Ask millennials to serve on advisory boards where they can jump right in and get hands-on with causes they care about. Opportunities to use and develop their areas of expertise are prime motivators in millennials’ philanthropic engagement.
What Engages Millennials?
- Social Currency (sharing what makes us look good). An example could be sharing an image showing that “I care about pets or I support this children’s art therapy program.” Tag millennials and thank them when posting images on social media. Also, they love swag!
- Emotional Stories. Tell stories that create a meaningful connection. An example could be the story of a child who has overcome challenges and obstacles in the face of adversity. The Austin Boys and Girls Club posted a video of their 2015 Youth of the Year who had to go to McDonald’s to do her homework since there was no electricity or internet at her home. Another example of emotional storytelling is relating the power of a duck. For example, a single duck provides 1 meal to a Special Olympic Athlete during the State Games.
- Influencers. Millennials listen to influencers. Influencers are individuals who have the ability to influence the opinions and buying decisions of a target audience largely due to their social media following.
- Valuable Content. Post content that is easy to share such as quotes and infographics. Show real faces of the people in your organization.
- Mobile Friendly. Since the majority of millennials are accessing the web through their mobile phone, make sure that all of your content is mobile optimized.
- Hashtags – Make sure that you use hashtags so your content can be found. Hashtags are crucial on Instagram and Twitter. On Instagram, put your hashtags in a comment which will help your post look more authentic and less cluttered.
How does you nonprofit engage with millennials? We would enjoy hearing your comments!
