Facet components. Skinny denims. The Valencia filter. We might 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 a number of the networks which have grow to be world behemoths.
As Monica Dimperio—the power behind Hashtag Way of life, the consultancy making manufacturers cooler, culturally fluent and unattainable to scroll previous—put it: “Millennials grew up each with and with out social—we keep 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 names and which MySpace tune performed on our profile. We actually invented the photograph 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 really 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 indicate up on social media and the way to market to them the precise means.
Methods to attain Millennials on social media
On social, Millennials search for connection. Whether or not it’s with individuals 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 grow to be emotional infrastructure for Millennials. It’s how we keep in mind birthdays, keep in contact with outdated associates and really feel rather less alone once we’re watching a present by ourselves on the sofa.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 developments. As an alternative, they’re on the lookout for shared experiences and touchstones.
Dimperio goes on, “We’re not chasing developments or making an attempt to grow to be influencers. We’re on the lookout for hacks, humor and a reminder that we’re not the one ones spiraling by 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 means too near residence, we’re following.”
Although they nonetheless flip to search engines like google for analysis, that’s rapidly altering. Practically 30% are almost certainly to make use of social to search out info—particularly product opinions 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 an alternative, lean into authenticity, in accordance with the Index.
“We don’t want perfection, we want persona. If it seems like advertising, we’re out. But when it seems like a pal 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 most well-liked with the era. Millennials are almost certainly 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 accordance with the This fall 2024 Sprout Pulse Survey. The Q1 2024 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that also they are almost certainly to make use of Fb and Instagram for staying updated on the information, and Fb for buyer care.
What model content material do Millennials have interaction with?
On their most-used channel, Fb, Millennials are almost certainly to interact with text-based model posts, per The 2024 Social Media Content material Technique Report. On Instagram, it’s short-form video (<15 seconds) and on YouTube, long-form video (>60 seconds).
Although Millennials finally devour all content material on most platforms, the secret’s understanding the nuance and tradition of every one. That doesn’t imply fully recreating posts from scratch—and overtaxing your staff’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 accordance with Index knowledge. In comparison with all different generations, they’re additionally almost certainly to say if a model doesn’t reply on social, they’re strongly possible to purchase from a competitor subsequent time.
As Dimperio says, “Millennials are each essentially the most skeptical and essentially the most brand-loyal era.” If you win them over, you earn a buyer for all times. However doing so takes a dedication to constructing a really distinctive model persona and wonderful buyer expertise.
Millennial social media developments
As Millennials have matured, they’ve gone from being the centerpiece of promoting plans to middle-aged shoppers with much less cultural sway, however much more market influence. To succeed in Millennials, manufacturers ought to spend money on rising networks, keep true to their model ethos and heart social of their go-to-market methods.
This isn’t a developments listicle that may encourage particular content material concepts (for that, learn our high social media developments article). As an alternative, these developments 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 following stage of their lives.
Rising community early adopters
Curiously, Millennials’ want for connection on social is driving them to make use of extra community- and creator-driven platforms over the following 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 almost certainly to leap into these new platforms if their family and friends members are already utilizing them, in accordance with the identical survey. In addition they join new networks once they’re all in favour of area of interest communities and subjects, or when influencers and creators they observe be a part of the community.
But when manufacturers joined each platform within the crowded panorama of rising networks, they’d dedicate all of their staff’s time to growing these new channels. As an alternative, they need to spend money on experiments on one or two networks the place their audience is, or the place area of interest communities associated to their model exist already.
They’re not on the lookout for manufacturers to be viral or fashionable
The Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that Millennials consider the highest two issues manufacturers ought to prioritize are viewers engagement and posting unique content material—much more so than being viral or fashionable. Which is a constant discovering throughout lots of the stories cited on this article.
This is a crucial 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 developments, solely 43% of Millennials say the identical, per the Index. Millennials are additionally barely extra more likely 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 keep 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 pattern in a unique 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 larger requirements for creativity. They’re on the lookout for a model with a constant voice that “will get them” reasonably than a copy-and-paste unhinged persona.
Social is inextricably tied to their buying choices
Social has remodeled the way in which Millennials store. Working example:
- Over half make spontaneous purchases impressed by social at the very least as soon as a month (The 2025 Sprout Social Index™).
- 35% are extra possible to purchase one thing they found on social on this financial local weather (Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey).
- Millennial shoppers are almost certainly to make every 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 strategy social promoting. “Social media fully collapsed the funnel. For Millennials, discovery, analysis and buy all occur in the identical scroll. Manufacturers must get it proper—quick. Paid advertisements and algorithm tokens virtually power us to see issues two to 5 occasions till we finally give in. Peer strain advertising is actual. So when one thing does hit organically, like a product advice from a pal, a creator we belief or a model we already love, it really feels refreshing.”
Whilst procuring on social media turns into extra ubiquitous, efficiently grabbing Millennial consideration requires a synchronized strategy, as this era makes use of each digital and bodily storefronts. Dimperio provides, “I nonetheless stroll into shops. I like the IRL expertise. However perhaps that’s the takeaway right here: In case your model goes to reside on-line, the digital and bodily must really feel emotionally related. Do they really feel the identical? Similar tone, similar vibe, similar belief issue?”
Optimistic views on the private influence of social media
Whereas the unfavorable elements of social media dominate information tales, Millennials are extra possible than different generations to view social media positively. The Q2 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey discovered that 68% of Millennials say social media has a optimistic influence on their psychological well being. One other 61% mentioned it had a web optimistic influence on their social lives, and over half agreed it had a web optimistic influence on their monetary choices.
It’s because Millennials use social to construct communities past geographic limitations, amplify actions and keep near associates 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 means you market to Gen Z and never accounting for his or her generational nuances doesn’t win their favor. They’re on the lookout for manufacturers with a transparent, well-established id.
Dimperio explains it this manner: “The manufacturers we love really feel like individuals. Once I construct a social technique, I deal with it like creating a personality—voice, visuals, tone, timing. It’s a full persona. Millennials join with manufacturers like that, ones who’re intentional, constant and truly know who they’re.”
Listed below are three manufacturers who’ve mastered the artwork of Millennial advertising, and located a solution to breakthrough in a means that feels true to their picture.
Sézane
Good style. Traditional 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 shoppers, who have been offered on the mystique of French ladies’s fashion at a younger age, make up a big share 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, fashion and Millennial fashion 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 needs to study extra about. They wish 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 the way to incorporate their olive oil right into a mocktail with a fancy taste profile, the staff 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 (in reality, generally they’re categorized as a Gen Z model), their originality and robust group 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 may help you develop your viewers.
Don’t overlook about Millennials in your social technique
Millennials could not be the brand new children on the block, however they’re nonetheless one of the vital energetic 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 unique storytelling.
The manufacturers that win with Millennials perceive this isn’t only a matter of repackaging Gen Z ways. It requires a technique rooted in understanding the nuances of their on-line conduct, the platforms they gravitate towards and the emotional causes they use social within the first place.
If you happen to’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 developments and the present state of social? Learn our information to generational advertising.
