Ted Rubin

No matter how you slice the demographics, young people hold a lot of sway on social media. They influence social conversation, establish trends, and tend to help social sites thrive when they show up in large numbers. Part of this is the power of numbers. According to Pew Research, 82 percent of US adults age 18-29 actively use Facebook, though the 65+ demographic is no slouch at 48 percent. However  a recent study highlighted by MediaPost suggests that one in three young social media users qualify as influencers.

If you’re aiming for omni-channel excellence, or simply looking to thrive on your channels of choice, don’t forget about the human side. In fact, it should be your first priority. With every new trend and communication channel comes new opportunities to connect, so it’s natural for marketers to seek out the most promising tools for the job. The challenge is that every trend has an expiration date, and it’s too easy to sacrifice the fundamentals in favor of the hot, new tool with an unknown shelf-life.

What does it mean to build a reputation? I’m not talking about brand recognition, or even the quality of the products or services you offer. Those things are important; however, a reputation is something more. It’s the little things…those moments of unprompted kindness and consideration that stick with you for a lifetime. In other words, the stuff that you truly remember.

If I had one piece of advice to give marketers who are beginning a career in 2016, it would be this: Millennials are not a new species. Keep that in mind the next time someone tells you they have the “secret” of marketing to Millennials, Gen Z, or whatever generation comes next.