It is a given that Generation Y is heavily involved in various social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. What is said about your brand online heavily influences the decision of most Millennials because social media outlets provide a reliable and easy way to spread the word and endorse a product. For most companies social media provides a free source of PR. For most millennials this is a great way to share their opinion about products and brands to their peers. Some may think that no one pays attention to these opinions but it surely does influence the opinions of the peers.

As a Millennial, I have been influenced by the critiques of my peers via social media on the newly released IPhone5.  Some peers state they preferred the iPhone4S over the iPhone 5.  I truly consider their honest opinions when considering the possibility of trading in my own iPhone 4S. Based on the opinions of my peers, I have made the decision to hold off my purchase of the iPhone 5.  The opinions which are found throughout the social media sites are listened to and heard by the companies who then feel an obligation to tailor their products to the needs of this up-front and opinionated generation.

We are constantly inundated with an onslaught of information on a day-to-day basis and most of it is either ignored or does not draw the attention of the audience. When a company is marketing to Millennials you must engage them and have a clear statement of the goals and objectives for the brand’s message in the marketing piece. If the marketing message is effective to a targeted audience such as Generation Y, we will tend to re-post or blog about it (i.e. interactive direct mailings, commercials, viral videos). This has evolved into a free form of PR that reaches all those who follow a particular individual. To be successful in this arena always remember to have an objective when marketing a product, be clear and engaging, and listen to what your audience wants.