Campaigning to the youth market
The youth market has always been a key market for advertisers and marketers. Brands which are youth-orientated depend on them while brands with a broader demographic understand that engaging young people can help to ensure a flow of custom over many years. As today’s youth market has literally grown up with mobile devices, advertising and marketing to the youth demographic has, understandably, begun to focus on a mobile-friendly approach.
Mobile devices and content density
While some tablets have screens which are comparable with laptops, or at least with netbooks, generally speaking, mobile devices have screens in the region of 4 to 7 inches. When thinking of a youth market as a whole, it’s probably best to work on the assumption that a fair percentage of young people will be using more affordable devices with smaller screens. This means that mobile-friendly content is concise. It needs to be able to be easily digested by people who are scanning devices quickly, possibly in noisy, crowded surroundings. Keep text short and sweet and always remember the importance of images and video.
Mobile devices and engaging content
Brands which are looking to connect with young people need to remember that content needs to be both concise and engaging. This means focussing on topics which will interest a younger demographic and to address them in an appropriate way. For example, while many young people have some level of interest in technology, mobile-friendly, engaging content would typically look at what impact the technology has on a person’s life, i.e. how it benefits them, rather than going into in-depth how-tos or explanations of how the technology actually works. Additionally, the more in-depth an article is, the more likely it is to be of niche interest, which means in terms of numbers, fewer people will engage with it (although those who do may have very high engagement).
Mobile devices and youth-friendly platforms
While Facebook and Twitter may still be the biggest social-media platforms out there in terms of sheer numbers and still have a fair number of younger people signed up to their service, these services have become what you might call, family-orientated platforms. In other words, they are places where younger people are aware their older relatives are likely to see what they’re up to. There are a number of alternative options for companies looking to engage with younger people in an environment where they are essentially amongst their peers.
There are also platforms which work across multiple formats. For example YouTube works happily on a desktop or mobile device and also on smart TVs. While this is another “family friendly” platform, the fact that it is divided into channels makes it easier to target a specific demographic.
Last but by no means least, there are the platforms created for today’s mobile generation, particularly younger people. Snapchat, Instagram, Vine and Periscope are all great choices for marketers looking to connect with younger people on their favourite platforms.
In spite of today’s emphasis on mobile apps, it’s worth remembering that a lot of the “old school” forms of digital communication are still alive and well. In particular, forums are still very much abuzz with chatter. You just need to become active in the right forums for your demographic and/or specialist niche.