Facet elements. Skinny denims. The Valencia filter. We may solely be speaking about one era: Millennials.
As soon as dismissed as unforgivably cringe, Millennials are making a popular culture comeback. After dominating the headlines for over a decade, the era—born between 1981-1996—took a step again as Gen Z sauntered into the limelight.
However in current months, they’ve regained cultural cache and are lastly getting the flowers they deserve for pioneering social media tradition. Millennials have been the earliest adopters of among the networks which have turn into world behemoths.
As Monica Dimperio—the pressure behind Hashtag Life-style, the consultancy making manufacturers cooler, culturally fluent and unimaginable to scroll previous—put it: “Millennials grew up each with and with out social—we bear in mind the world earlier than filters and followers—so our relationship with it’s deeply emotional. We’re nonetheless speaking about our AIM display screen names and which MySpace music performed on our profile. We actually invented the picture dump. And that early expertise taught us to care about presentation, that means and vibe—even now. We constructed the tradition Gen Z now thrives in.” Dimperio is a Millennial herself, in addition to a model builder and digital native who helped outline influencer tradition.
Regardless of the nostalgia related to Millennials and social media, 31% of Millennials truly plan to make use of social extra in 2025, essentially the most of any era, per The 2025 Sprout Social Index™. As their revenue and spending energy goes up, their elevated time on social interprets to actual alternative for manufacturers.
On this information, we clarify how Millennials need manufacturers to point out up on social media and tips on how to market to them the proper method.
How one can attain Millennials on social media
On social, Millennials search for connection. Whether or not it’s with folks they really know, influencers and celebrities, and even manufacturers. As Dimperio defined, “As a result of we’ve grown up alongside the evolution of each main platform, social media has turn into emotional infrastructure for Millennials. It’s how we bear in mind birthdays, keep in contact with previous mates and really feel rather less alone after we’re watching a present by ourselves on the sofa. It’s companionship.”
Information backs this up. In keeping with the Index, 92% of Millennials use social to maintain up with cultural moments. Which aren’t precisely the identical factor as traits. As a substitute, they’re in search of shared experiences and touchstones.
Dimperio goes on, “We’re not chasing traits or attempting to turn into influencers. We’re in search of hacks, humor and a reminder that we’re not the one ones spiraling via no matter life stage we’re in (aka center age). That’s why we gravitate towards content material that teaches, entertains or makes us really feel seen. If it helps us prepare dinner a greater dinner, discover a higher forehead gel or sends us right into a meme spiral as a result of it hits method too near house, we’re following.”
Although they nonetheless flip to search engines like google and yahoo for analysis, that’s shortly altering. Almost 30% are most probably to make use of social to search out data—particularly product evaluations and suggestions—per the Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey.
But, manufacturers shouldn’t make the error of pushing a tough promote. Millennials need manufacturers to cease utilizing a salesly or company tone and, as a substitute, lean into authenticity, in keeping with the Index.
“We don’t want perfection, we want character. If it appears like advertising, we’re out. But when it appears like a buddy with style? We’re in,” sums up Dimperio.
What social media networks do Millennials use and why?
In keeping with the Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey, 85% of Millennial social media customers are on Fb, 80% are on YouTube and 74% are on Instagram, making these platforms the preferred with the era. Millennials are most probably to make use of all of those channels for leisure and connecting with family and friends.
Digging deeper into how they use sure platforms, Millennials report TikTok is their favourite channel to show to for social commerce, carefully adopted by Fb and Instagram, in keeping with the This fall 2024 Sprout Pulse Survey. The Q1 2024 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that also they are most probably to make use of Fb and Instagram for staying updated on the information, and Fb for buyer care.
What model content material do Millennials interact with?
On their most-used channel, Fb, Millennials are most probably to have interaction with text-based model posts, per The 2024 Social Media Content material Technique Report. On Instagram, it’s short-form video (60 seconds).
Although Millennials in the end eat all content material on most platforms, the hot button is understanding the nuance and tradition of every one. That doesn’t imply utterly recreating posts from scratch—and overtaxing your group’s bandwidth. It means charting a number of factors of distribution and connection, and prioritizing the platforms that matter most to this era.
No matter format, the traits Millennials care about most in model content material are authenticity, leisure and reliability, in keeping with Index knowledge. In comparison with all different generations, they’re additionally most probably to say if a model doesn’t reply on social, they’re strongly doubtless to purchase from a competitor subsequent time.
As Dimperio says, “Millennials are each essentially the most skeptical and essentially the most brand-loyal era.” Once you win them over, you earn a buyer for all times. However doing so takes a dedication to constructing a very distinctive model persona and glorious buyer expertise.
Millennial social media traits
As Millennials have matured, they’ve gone from being the centerpiece of promoting plans to middle-aged customers with much less cultural sway, however much more market influence. To achieve Millennials, manufacturers ought to put money into rising networks, keep true to their model ethos and middle social of their go-to-market methods.
This isn’t a traits listicle that can encourage particular content material concepts (for that, learn our prime social media traits article). As a substitute, these traits map out the way forward for Millennials’ social media habits, and provides clues that reveal what it takes to construct lasting resonance as this era reaches the subsequent stage of their lives.
Rising community early adopters
Apparently, Millennials’ need for connection on social is driving them to make use of extra community- and creator-driven platforms over the subsequent few months, per the Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey. 63% plan to make use of Reddit, whereas 57% plan to make use of Bluesky, Threads and Mastadon. One other 53% plan to make use of Patreon and Substack.
Millennials are most probably to leap into these new platforms if their family and friends members are already utilizing them, in keeping with the identical survey. In addition they join new networks once they’re keen on area of interest communities and subjects, or when influencers and creators they observe be part of the community.
But when manufacturers joined each platform within the crowded panorama of rising networks, they might dedicate all of their group’s time to growing these new channels. As a substitute, they need to put money into experiments on one or two networks the place their target market is, or the place area of interest communities associated to their model exist already.
They’re not in search of manufacturers to be viral or stylish
The Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that Millennials imagine the highest two issues manufacturers ought to prioritize are viewers engagement and posting authentic content material—much more so than being viral or stylish. Which is a constant discovering throughout most of the reviews cited on this article.
This is a vital space the place advertising to Gen Z differs from advertising to Millennials. Whereas over half of Gen Z say it’s cool for manufacturers to leap on viral traits, solely 43% of Millennials say the identical, per the Index. Millennials are additionally barely extra prone to say that the originality of a model’s content material issues.
Dimperio says that is due to Millennials’ early days on-line. “Originality nonetheless issues to us as a result of we bear in mind the golden age of blogs, area of interest memes and cultural moments that weren’t curated by an algorithm. We all know what creativity seems to be like…and what’s only a recycled development in a special font.”
There’s a persistent false perception that manufacturers can market “to everybody” on social media, and that going viral is a hole-in-one technique for each demographic. In actuality, Millennials are extra discerning than their youthful counterparts and have greater requirements for creativity. They’re in search of a model with a constant voice that “will get them” slightly than a copy-and-paste unhinged persona.
Social is inextricably tied to their buying selections
Social has reworked the best way Millennials store. Working example:
- Over half make spontaneous purchases impressed by social a minimum of as soon as a month (The 2025 Sprout Social Index™).
- 35% are extra doubtless to purchase one thing they found on social on this financial local weather (Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey).
- Millennial customers are most probably to make day by day or weekly purchases impressed by an influencer—on par with Gen Z (The State of Influencer Advertising Report).
Dimperio explains how this could influence the methods manufacturers method social promoting. “Social media utterly collapsed the funnel. For Millennials, discovery, analysis and buy all occur in the identical scroll. Manufacturers have to get it proper—quick. Paid adverts and algorithm tokens virtually pressure us to see issues two to 5 instances till we finally give in. Peer strain advertising is actual. So when one thing does hit organically, like a product suggestion from a buddy, a creator we belief or a model we already love, it truly feels refreshing.”
At the same time as purchasing on social media turns into extra ubiquitous, efficiently grabbing Millennial consideration requires a synchronized method, as this era makes use of each digital and bodily storefronts. Dimperio provides, “I nonetheless stroll into shops. I really like the IRL expertise. However possibly that’s the takeaway right here: In case your model goes to dwell on-line, the digital and bodily have to really feel emotionally related. Do they really feel the identical? Similar tone, similar vibe, similar belief issue?”
Constructive views on the private influence of social media
Whereas the adverse features of social media dominate information tales, Millennials are extra doubtless than different generations to view social media positively. The Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that 68% of Millennials say social media has a constructive influence on their psychological well being. One other 61% stated it had a internet constructive influence on their social lives, and over half agreed it had a internet constructive influence on their monetary selections.
It is because Millennials use social to construct communities past geographic limitations, amplify actions and keep near mates as life will get busier. As they’ve grown up, social has helped them launch careers, develop companies and discover their identities. Even with the challenges—burnout, comparability and algorithm fatigue—Millennials usually tend to see the overarching profit.
Manufacturers Millennials love on social
As talked about, Millennials are a considerably misunderstood era. Advertising to them the identical method you market to Gen Z and never accounting for his or her generational nuances doesn’t win their favor. They’re in search of manufacturers with a transparent, well-established identification.
Dimperio explains it this fashion: “The manufacturers we love really feel like folks. After I construct a social technique, I deal with it like creating a personality—voice, visuals, tone, timing. It’s a full character. Millennials join with manufacturers like that, ones who’re intentional, constant and really know who they’re.”
Listed here are three manufacturers who’ve mastered the artwork of Millennial advertising, and located a approach to breakthrough in a method that feels true to their picture.
Sézane
Good style. Basic class. The place grown ups store. Sézane, the French model that empowers you to construct your personal “Parisian wardrobe,” is a staple amongst Millennial ladies. These customers, who have been bought on the mystique of French ladies’s model at a younger age, make up a big proportion of Sézane’s cult following.
The model owes a lot of their current success to social media hype. On their very own channels, they’re applauded for utilizing fashions which have physique varieties that match their core viewers, and for designing garments constructed with consolation, model and Millennial model icons in thoughts. The model additionally leans into creator-led advertising and user-generated content material.
Give your model a Millennial makeover: Take a cue from Sézane, and lean into the early influences on Millennial style. Perceive why they’re motivated to gravitate towards particular aesthetics, and incorporate these themes into your content material.
Ceremonia
Ceremonia, the clear hair care model rooted in a Latinx heritage, is a founder-led firm with a transparent penchant for Millennial branding. Founder Babba C. Rivera is extremely cool, a Forbes 30-under-30 alum and a Millennial herself. Her knack for storytelling—from her heritage to her model’s mission—resonates with the era. Plus, the model’s heat, coordinated colorways and easy emblem are Millennial-coded.
On social, the model leans into Rivera’s inspiring story, whereas additionally creating polished visuals that showcase their merchandise.
Give your model a Millennial makeover: What makes your organization distinctive? What are you able to share about your founder or the origin of your organization? The place are your merchandise made? These are the small print your Millennial viewers desires to study extra about. They need to perceive who they’re shopping for from and how their merchandise are sourced and manufactured. Use social to inform your story.
Graza
If something is true about Millennials, it’s that they like to take pantry staples and provides them a refined twist. Whereas there are numerous examples, Graza stands out as a model that has risen to the forefront of Millennial consciousness.
The model generally related to their signature olive oil exemplifies Millennial fancification, and celebrates this on social. Whether or not it’s by reposting their followers’ Graza-inspired tiny tattoos or demonstrating tips on how to incorporate their olive oil right into a mocktail with a fancy taste profile, the group is on it. They even partnered with James Jones, Love On The Spectrum showrunner.
Give your model a Millennial makeover: Whereas Graza doesn’t completely market to Millennials (actually, generally they’re categorized as a Gen Z model), their originality and powerful neighborhood administration allow them to succeed in throughout generations. In your personal social content material, take into account how partnering with Millennial creators and media personalities, and serving up Millennial-core can assist you broaden your viewers.
Don’t neglect about Millennials in your social technique
Millennials might now not be the brand new youngsters on the block, however they’re nonetheless one of the lively generations on social. As their shopping for energy continues to develop, manufacturers want to concentrate to this demographic’s particular habits, preferences and values. They don’t need trend-chasing or faceless company posts. They need connection, creativity and authentic storytelling.
The manufacturers that win with Millennials perceive this isn’t only a matter of repackaging Gen Z techniques. It requires a method rooted in understanding the nuances of their on-line habits, the platforms they gravitate towards and the emotional causes they use social within the first place.
Should you’re constructing a model meant to final, don’t sleep on the era that helped construct social as we all know it.
On the lookout for extra on generational traits and the present state of social? Learn our information to generational advertising.
