Marketing to the Millennial Generation

The student marketplace has changed considerably in the last five years. Currently about 60 percent of a career college's student body consists of millennial's.

Millennial's, students age 26 and younger, have a different view of the world than Gen-X ers and need to be approached on their terms.

It's just a different line of thinking, and it's not as difficult as people may think, but you have to first be open to something new, the changing behavior and how technology has played a role in changing much of that behavior.

Here are some insights on connecting with the millennial generation:

Forget the cynical, outcome-based view of Generation X. The Gen-X ers were very, very outcome based. They were a cynical group, willing to tolerate a number of extraneous things to get to the end result. They were willing to pay their dues and less likely to look around. They were loyal shoppers, in part because there wasn't as much information at their disposal. The Internet wasn't as defined, there weren't as many post secondary opportunities and they were not as challenging.

Be ready for optimism and confidence. In contrast to the cynical members of Generation X, the millennial's are confident that they will succeed. They're very optimistic. There is very big polarity between the two groups. Millennial's are more focused towards the positive things that still happen, not the negatives.

Expect to work at it. Millennial's expect to set the tone for communication. It's not that they're not at home, it's that they're not going to pick up. They establish their own communication mechanisms.

Remember, they're aware of what's out there. Millennial's are tuned in to what's available; they're a much more informed group. They know they have choices.

Contact them on their terms. A multi-faceted approach, including text messages, phone messages and blogs, works best. In the last three years we've seen it move from e-mail to instant messaging to text messaging, and text messaging is by and large in a mobile environment. Kids rarely answer their cell phones verbally. They'll return a text message much sooner than they'll return a voice mail.

Don't overwhelm with phone calls. Student who indicate an interest in a program through a Web portal may be contacted by five schools within the first hour, and many more in the first week. They're very sensitive about what they communicate and how they communicate.

Emphasize your differences. A message directed at the millennial generation should include elements of the institution's core values and show how an institution is different from others. It doesn't differentiate to advertise financial aid for those who qualify, short-term classes, or small class sizes. Everyone says that and everyone has that. Emphasize something about the fun and entertaining side of your educational institution.

Connect in the classroom. School experiences are often equated with fraternities, extra-curricular activities and things that students do beyond the classroom. In the eyes of the millennial's, connectivity occurs within the classroom. They are a group of students who are highly networked and communicate at a high rate. They're more inclusive, and connectivity in the classroom with instructors as well as their classmates is important. From a young age they're used to concepts such as team-teaching, pods and switching classes, and connectivity with their peers is very important. They're used to working in a group dynamic.

Make the experience enjoyable. Because millennial are confident they'll reach the outcome they desire, the experience they have in reaching it is very important to them. We've always been really focused on the outcomes in our admissions presentations and marketing, but that has shifted. The key message should be wrapped around the experience at the campus.

Already a winner. From the time they are winning trophies for soccer leagues, Little League, football and cheerleading, millennial's have been used to achieving their goals. That's why the experience, not the outcome, is more important to them. They're used to everyone succeeding--everybody wins.

Looking around for answers. Millennial's are used to using the Internet, and when they're online they move on if they don't find what they need. Much the same is true in the classroom. You have to be able to deliver something that is engaging to them, not just tell them what they're working toward. They already feel that they're going to win. To them, knowledge is success.

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