Cascade Alliance

Technique Tuesday: Ways Organizations Can Increase Millennial Engagement

The average attention span of a millennial is 8 seconds – that’s not to say their span is shrinking, they’re just becoming more selective of what to tune into (although this is probably in dispute).

Below are suggestions on ways to engage with Millennials (born between 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born after 1996) and build your follower/audience base.

   1. Social Media Content

• In general, many millennials see themselves at activists. This is reflective in the causes they    support and continual large turnout at protests.  To engage the millennial activist, social media posts and other materials released should have a key message that’s compelling.
• Posts should always include a photo if possible as it is more likely to be clicked on.
• The same ideas apply for social media advertising. Keep the post short and simple.  Mobile ads should have minimal copy but interesting visual content.

   2. Social Media Engagement

• Utilize the “poll” features on Twitter and Facebook to promote engagement with your users. If your organization runs a thrift store, consider posting a picture of a unique item and asking people to guess what it is.  An example is shown to the right.

   3. Photos

• Well edited photos help increase engagement. A free tool that is helpful is the Lightroom CC Mobile app.  The linked site gives you a rundown on how to edit photos.  You are able to purchase presets for Lightroom from sites such as Etsy and curate a theme that fits your brand/organization.

   4. Transparency

• Millennials are increasingly interested in knowing where their money goes if they give donations. Showcasing items or programs consistently with a clear message of what the funds are being used for increases the trust among your audience.

We hope these suggestions provided some guidance.  Just remember, social media is your most powerful tool for outreach.