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Make your agency visible to millennials

  • Posted by Mary Jo | 3 min read

Make your agency visible to millennials

Millennials. We hear the term so often, but who exactly are they and why are they important to agents like you? The “millennial” is defined as anyone born between 1981 and 1996; they’re also known as generation Y and today, this group is between ages 27 and 42.

Just a few years ago, the U.S. was home to 87.5 million millennials, compared to 83.7 million members of generation X and 66.4 million baby boomers, per the University of Southern California Applied Psychology group’s Psychology of Successfully Marketing to Millennials.

This growing population grew up with the internet, so they are very comfortable with digital technology such as smartphones, social media, and on-demand entertainment. Although they were ready to get into the workforce after high school and college, they arrived on the scene during the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression.

As a result, some chose to stay in school longer and incurred more debt, or it may have taken them longer to get their career off the ground. This helps to explain why this generation is slightly behind on hitting the milestones that generations before them reached. According to 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey by Deloitte, millennials are slower to purchase a home, marry, and have children.

Strategies
So, as an independent agent, how do you reach these customers? Let’s look at some best practice tips from the University of Southern California Applied Psychology group, who published Psychology of Successfully Marketing to Millennials, and get some ideas on how you can make sure your agency is millennial-friendly:

  • Make sure your website is optimized for mobile
    The best way to reach millennials is on their mobile device as they have the highest ownership of smartphones among all the generations. For agents, this means your website must perform on a smartphone. Pull up your website on your phone and if it’s not working correctly, reach out to your website resource to get started on making it mobile-friendly. Contact our partners at Lift Local for solutions.
  • Social media presence is a must
    Buyers and customers are engaging online where they can hear real stories from real people, rather than advertising slogans. Having a presence for your agency on a couple of social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) helps with brand recognition for new customers and builds trust and loyalty with existing customers. Take a step in the right direction by asking one of your employees (think of them as your influencer) to engage in conversations on your social platforms. Having someone in position to answer questions and advocate for your agency’s services helps you guide the conversation and influence existing and potential customers.
  • Personalization works
    The University of Southern California’s findings show that 85% of millennials are more likely to make a purchase if the content is personalized to their interests. One way to capitalize on this insight is to tailor your email, website, or social media content to resonate with your customers. Show your customers that you understand their concerns and are ready to help them select the coverages that are right for them. Another tactic is to pull all your new homeowner policies from the past year and send these customers a targeted message of congratulations on their first year in the house—and perhaps ask if they need to go over any coverage now that they’re settled in.
  • Be authentic
    Based on Deloitte’s survey, the top three concerns millennials have are cost of living, climate change, and unemployment. They also feel strongly about social issues and health care. One way to connect with these consumers is to find a cause that aligns with your brand values and share how you support your cause on social media. This could be through volunteering, sponsoring a scholarship, or even just sharing a link. Just make sure you’re being authentic about your cause.

Your turn!
Have you been successful at reaching millennials in your office? If you’ve got an idea that you’d like to share, please let us know what is working for you.  Check out the programs we offer through Progressive Marketing and stay tuned to Connect for more tips to help you make your agency stand out from the competition.

Mary Jo is in marketing and communications at Progressive where she's been focused on the agent experience for over 20 years. In her free time, she enjoys garage saling, antique hunting and spending time with family and friends.