Millennials. Aka The Harry Potter Generation. Aka The Social Generation. The generation, according to a PEW research study from 2016, born between 1981 and 1996.

This was the age of Nirvana and The first IBM-PC. They were born in the age of the internet, and are a technologically literate generation in a way that the world has never seen. But great technological proficiency comes at a price, for marketers.

With the advent of tech, marketing to millennials demands more personalization and authenticity, or risk getting swiped on by when it comes to social media. The marketers and brands that get it use technology to drive efficiency in their workflows and data to inform decisions about their consumer. Then they empower their content creators to do what they do best – tell stories and engage in meaningful narratives with their audience. These are the brands that stick out to Millennials who can now help tailor their own feeds to their individual preferences, tastes, and backgrounds.

But what kind of content is the most authentic, engaging, and human?

For one, social video, taken vertically.

Why? Think of it as a consumer: would you rather watch a social video that looks like something your friend made, or a professional online video that you know is trying to make you buy a product? Some channels in social are inherently raw, like Instagram Stories. This is meant to be more narrative-driven, and vertically shot. When marketing to millennials, the content has to mimic the content already on the platform.

The power of vertical video, exacerbated by the continued use of front and back facing phone cameras, is the reality that many users embrace to capture their daily lives. Vertical video has become the new standard for social video, as its convenience captures more of the reality of everyday life.

Make use of B-roll. Known as B-roll footage in the online video making industry, realism can foster a connection to your audience that allows them to feel, rather than be convinced. Companies and name brands always run the risk of being taken as ‘too corporate’. B-roll is a great way to leverage existing footage and assets to achieve a certain mood or tone. Pro tip, store your assets in a digital asset management solution like Bynder to easily search for existing assets without pulling your hair out.

Marketers today need to be story-driven to connect with consutmers. You can’t guarantee sales without engagement, and you can’t keep engagement without having a story that will drive sales.

With Sightworthy, you can turn your big idea into marketable video content in as quickly as 48 hours. To see how easy it is to get started, check out this video that walks you through our easy-to-complete creative brief. Fill, submit, and receive a first draft at the speed of social. Chat with us about our process.