How to Reach Teens on Twitter

Can you believe Facebook is already 10 years old? I remember when I was a teen on Myspace thinking the platform would never get old only to be immediately replaced by Facebook in 2004. Although no other platform has been able to make Facebook obsolete, new competitors have definitely started to take some share from from the social media market. With all of us growing up, the new decade has brought in a new generation of teens. Because this age group is one of the most marketing-savvy consumers, these platforms are a great way to reach them. Here’s how you can do it.

Learn the trends of teens

This age group is in the melting pot of all things considered to be cool. If you want to appeal to them, you have to be on top of current trends going on in order to find relevance in what you post about. As a business owner or a marketer, there’s a great chance that you’re not a teenager. Therefore it’s okay to feel out of the loop when trying to determine what’s hip or cool today. I’m 22, and I already feel like I don’t know anything about highschool because the teenagers today are so much different than my graduating class which happened not so long ago. Don’t overdo it though, these teens are so savvy they can smell B.S.

Keep it real

Teens aren’t as dumb as they look. They can sense when you’re trying to pull a fast one on them. When doing it on social media, it can backfire very quickly. Be honest about your intentions and keep your cause genuine. When teens see this, they will bring their friends, family, and everyone they know to your business because of how cool they think you are. My sister recently went to this mom and pop restaurant where the owner treated her like she was her first customer. The excellent customer service and personal attention made my sister feel so good, that she came back home and got the rest of the family to come check the place out. When teens stand for a cause, they do everything they can to get others to join them.

Engage in Conversation

A teen’s day consists of school, probably work, and a little bit of homework. Sometimes, it even involves extra curricular activities. Regardless of what they are doing, they are always in conversation with other people. Because they are one of the most social demographics, being conversational is an integral part of your strategy in reaching teens on social media. However, broadcasting on Twitter doesn’t work for anyone, especially teenagers. The best way to engage with them on this platform is to ask questions, look for input and ask for advice. Find questions to answer and keep the conversation going about anything except your own product.

Find an appealing voice

In the art of conversation, it’s always good to know how to engage with different demographics. The way you talk to your friends is not the way you speak to your coworkers. Therefore, the way you talk to teenagers on social media is not the same way you would engage with adults. Teens are witty, and sometimes very clever so they love anything that resonates with these characteristics. On top of this, you need to be creative because trends change so quickly that cool words today are probably lame tomorrow. Remember #YoLo? No one uses that anymore, and if you try to sneak on in, you’re going to have a bad time. A good way to learn how to be witty or creative is to look at memes that are trending to see what teens find interesting and relevant.

There’s so many ways to appeal to this demographic. What are some ways you can think of to attract teens to your business? Share your ideas with us by leaving a comment or connecting with us on Twitter and Facebook!