When it comes to the future of marketing your veterinary practice, one thing is indisputable: It’s all about the Millennials.

Who are ‘The Millennials’, and Why Should We Care?

Born between 1980 and 2000, the Millennial generation holds a mammoth amount of importance. An estimated 80 million Millennials currently live in the U.S., and in 15 years, it’s believed that they’ll comprise 70% of our workforce. Their spending power is said to be $170 billion. In order to ensure the continued growth and profitability of your veterinary business, it’s essential to learn to market to this vital generation.

What Makes Millennials Unique?

Millennials are a special breed. They’ve grown up during a time of international political strife and economic chaos. Even though they’ve been raised with constant instability, they have had one crucial constant: technology. They have more technological prowess than any generation preceding them. In addition, they have an extremely strong sense of local and global awareness. They tend to have liberal attitudes toward social issues, and have often been referred to as the “Me Generation” for exuding confidence and self-assurance.

But here’s the thing. They don’t like to be marketed to.

What’s the Challenge?

Since Millennials grew up surrounded by technology and social media, their natural proclivity is to share information. When it comes to brands, they hold personal recommendations from friends in the highest regard, and pay little attention to traditional advertising tactics. They’re wary of marketing campaigns and want to be engaged with – not talked at.

More than any other generation, Millennials need to feel like they’re a part of every conversation. This is especially true as it relates to brands.

How Can You Reach Them?

To reach the Millennial audience, you must engage them. Make them a part of your veterinary conversations. In order for Millennials to trust you, they need to see firsthand that you’re not just about selling veterinary services, but are committed to improving the industry as a whole. Be authentic, compassionate, honest, humble and kind. These traits matter to them. Identify important social issues related to the veterinary industry, and foster conversations about making improvements with those issues. This could include posting information about local veterinary charities and shelters.

Millennials crave a sense of purpose. When they’re happy with a brand, they tell their friends, post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, and write online reviews. Why not invite them to share their pet experiences? Ask for their input, and build ongoing conversations.

Give them positive reasons to talk about you. After all, they just want to feel as though they’re being heard and that their opinions matter.