Gaining trust from the millennial generation might be harder than you think. Depending on the type of nonprofit or business you are running, these young and energetic people might see you as a close friend or a threat who needs to be avoided.
When it comes to leveling the playing fields and converting some of the millennial leadership potential to volunteer for your nonprofit however, things start to look a bit different. Gaining and retaining the trust and loyalty of the millennial generation is all about catering to what they really care about, so how can you do it without losing what your nonprofit really stands for?
Active engagement
All millennials have one thing in common – they like proper and meaningful interaction. They are far more interested in you cold calling them and selling them a product instead of posting an ad for them to see on YouTube or Facebook.
Millennials are notorious when it comes to expecting proper engagement to be made on your part should you need their expertise or opinion. This plays nicely into your ability and wish to recruit millennials with leadership potential but don’t have a clue as to where to start. Making the first move and engaging the people you think are capable of contributing to your cause and learning something on the way is an essential first step in creating a common communication channel.
Customer satisfaction
Knowing that your participants are satisfied with your programs and activities is one of the foundations of earning the trust of millennial leaders. Focusing on testimonials and participant reviews is a good start when it comes to student engagement, however, you can always be creative and take it a step further.
Developing a customer loyalty program and involving your participants and students in your nonprofit will show potential millennials that you care for your customer base. It will not only gain their trust but also paint a very positive public image of your nonprofit in the process.
Influencer partnerships
You might be familiar with the term “influencer” since it involves marketing your programs to niche audiences. Making partnerships with influencers such as bloggers, YouTube creators or even social media celebrities will give you a huge advantage over the competition. You can visit one of the best sites for writing help together and see if you can develop a new sales pitch together.
The benefits of such partnerships go above and beyond what you may deem a successful marketing strategy. Many of your current and potential customers are young people with very different tastes than what you are used to – partnering with influencers will not only bring you their attention, but the attention of other potential millennial volunteers as well.
Honest business model
Being transparent about your nonprofit business practices is an essential part of gaining and retaining trust of millennials. Many millennials are activists aware of issues that plague the world. Standing up for what you think is right and focusing on an honest and publically transparent business model will do wonders for your PR department.
Make sure that you follow-up on whatever plans you lay out in your business model. However, not actualizing your stated goals can cause your whole plan to come crashing down. It will be much harder to gain the trust of millennials if you retract significant areas of your agenda.
Conclusion
The smartest way to cater to a younger and more broad-sighted audience is by involving them in your organization in the first place. Finding a marketing expert or two who are millennials themselves and involving them in your nonprofit activities and staff is a great way to start finding your own millennials for the future.
Keep in mind that while millennials are open-minded and versatile, they can also sometimes be hard to work with due to their ways of thinking and mood-based work habits. Regardless of that, working with youth is an important step into the future, whatever business you may be running.
________________________
This guest post was authored by Luisa Brenton. She is a talented freelance writer and educational blogger experienced in brand development. Her mission is to help beginner entrepreneurs find their own way to a balanced lifestyle and cope with everyday assignments with success.
