The Benefits of Millennials in the Workplace

It is probably truer than not, that you or people you work with have heard of the stigmas that are tied to millennials. This could directly affect how likely employers are to hire millennials for their company. But, not all that you hear about millennials is true. In fact, there are many benefits to having millennials work for or with you. At Fortress, many of our team members fall in the millennial category and we’ve gotten to teach and learn from them on a day to day basis. Since Fortress is in the technology world, incorporating millennials to our staff isn’t just a corporate initiative, it is a necessity. If you are unsure of which side to take on the matter, here are some benefits of millennials in the workplace that might change your mind.

 

They are taking over the workforce

As the years pass, the millennial age demographic is rising and with it comes the amount of age-appropriate millennials in the workforce. By the year 2020, millennials will make up 46% of the workforce in the United States. That is almost half of the working population. As each year passes, having to hire millennials is inevitable.

Fortress Feedback:

Nick (Marketing) Age: 22

Q: What should the workforce take into consideration as far as how it will change with the emerging millennial workforce?

A: “I think it’s important for people to realize that the earliest millennials are now starting their own businesses and hiring other millennials as employees. Millennials aren’t just creeping into the workforce, they are overtaking it. Also, older generations should be eager to hire millennials as they bring innovative and fresh ideas to the workplace. Steve Jobs once said, “We don’t hire smart people to tell them what to do, we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do”. I think millennials are eager to change the old ways of doing things and they will make the workforce much more competitive.”

 

 

They are actually hard workers

Despite labels that describe them as “lazy” or “unmotivated”, statistics show that millennials are actually hard workers and want to build meaningful careers. As many as 30% of millennials would prefer a job that is considered meaningful over one that isn’t. If that doesn’t change your mind, a staggering 52% feel that job opportunities that allow them to progress and advance their career are more appealing during job searches than a job where they can surf Facebook all day. This shows that millennials are ambitious, willing to work hard and put in the effort that is needed to progress and make a meaningful career for themselves.

Fortress Feedback

Ryan (Business Development) Age: 25

Q: How does it make you feel when the older generation calls millennials “lazy” workers? Is there anything you try to do on a day to day basis to prove them different?

A: “I feel like they are misinformed. We work as hard as we can. I think that the times have just changed and priorities shift. Education for millennials became more of a priority than getting into the workforce, right away. But, I do believe that millennial’s work just as hard as any generation.”

 

They are the tech generation

The millennial generation grew up during the strongest period of technological advancement in history. They had access to all the newest technology and adopted it immediately. Technology is integrated into almost every area of a millennial’s life. This means they are more innovative, faster learners, and more up to date with most, if not all, new tech advancements and trends. This allows them to be assets in the digital world and makes them an asset as your company enters this evolving, online world. Hiring Millennials allows your business to be sure that it will be up to date and in good hands where technology is a pivotal part of your day-to-day.

Fortress Feedback:

Navya (Web Development) Age: 24

Q: What do you think when people say that we are the most technologically advanced generation there has ever been?

A: “I don’t feel like we are even advanced as we can be. I think that we have so much we still have to learn and generations will only keep growing in advancement. But, our generation has had the opportunity to grow up with technology and allows us to beat that “generation gap” that the older generations might have with technology that seems so familiar and easy to us.”

 

They are more educated

Believe it or not, millennials might be seen as lazy since they haven’t entered the workforce as early in age as older generations. But, that is because they are taking the time to get an education. Millennials are on their way to becoming the most educated generation in the United States. On average, millennial women are 36% more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than their grandparent’s generation who sat at 9%. And millennial men are no different as 29% of them hold at least a bachelor’s degree while only 15% of their grandfathers might. This shows that millennials are taking initiative to go on to secondary education before starting their careers and are on their way to holding the title of “most educated generation.”

Fortress Feedback:

Lucy (Copywriter) Age: 21

Q: What do you think about the number of millennials that now have degrees, specifically the spike in female education? And, how do you feel that the high amount of educated workers will affect the workforce?

A: “I think it’s making education more of a requirement and evening the playing field. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to get into a professional company and rise up the ranks without at least a bachelor’s degree. The amount of educated women allows men and women to look the same on paper, once again evening the playing field. I also believe a college education helps millennials be better workers. The college workload, for any major, is inherently difficult and time-consuming. So, if you can make it through a four-year degree you know what it takes to get things done on time and are good at prioritizing which translates into the workplace making you a harder and more time-efficient worker.”

 

They are the accepting generation

Today, it is not uncommon to hear of new social reforms that allow all members of society to feel accepted. This includes, but is not limited to: race, sex, gender, or political views. Millennials are more likely than older generations to be accepting of social change and reform. This could potentially allow the workplace to have a cohesive and accepting atmosphere.

Fortress Feedback:

Carlos (Web Design) Age: 23

Q: In your experience how does the workforce atmosphere change depending on where you work? This could be anything from race to age difference and everything in between.

A: “I think having diverse co-workers and learning different cultures adds a fun aspect to a job. But, also it’s nice being able to be yourself and not have to meet some sort of expectation for different “groups” that are meant to divide us. I haven’t ever had to experience any sort of separation from my coworkers because I have mainly worked with millennials. I feel like this comfort allows us to work happier and more efficiently. I would never want to work for a company that thinks otherwise.”

 

This only includes some of the benefits that could come with millennials in the workplace. In our experience, millennials have been a great asset to the team and have generally shown the opposite of the stigma that society typically places on them. Generations are changing and so is the workplace, but we believe that the emergence of millennial workers will only add to the value of the veteran workforce.

What is Google’s New Marketing Platform and What can it Do for You?

Earlier this week, Google hosted a live web broadcast announcing their new ad service rebrand. AdWords has become Google Ads, DoubleClick has become Google Analytics 360 and they all fall under Google Marketing Platform. A lot seems to have changed but, being a copywriter, I don’t interact much with the backend of advertising and most of the broadcast went right over my head. I sat down with our Director of Digital Strategy, Eric Lucas, for a simplified breakdown of Google’s new services.

What exactly is the update?

Google’s new “Google Marketing Platform” will act as an umbrella service to house: Google Ads, Google Analytics 360, and Google Ad Manager. This is a one-stop-shop for all the front-end and back-end marketing services that Google already had in place including: the research, setup, measurement and optimization of a campaign. Now, marketers won’t have to integrate the separate features to make them work together, but, instead, Google Marketing Platform will allow them to easily toggle between features and allow the features to “talk to each other.” In addition to the bundling of their services, Google Ads will now have “smart campaigns” which use machine learning to optimize ad headlines and descriptions (which are getting a character boost too).

What does this mean for marketers?

Marketers like Eric will now be able to do their job better and faster. With all of Google’s suite of marketing tools in one place, the research, set up, measurement, and optimization will all be in one place. Google Marketing Platform will cut down on set-up time so that marketers can start delivering reports faster and be able to see how effectively your ad budget is being used. There will be better visibility of where the budget is going and what returns on investment are coming back to you.

What does this mean for brands?

Ad campaigns will be much more effective. The new platform will cut down on set up time which and reduce errors that could have occurred before from integrating separate platforms. Measuring and attribution will be easier because the services are better connected. The clarity of results will also improve significantly. For smaller businesses who don’t have a huge ad budget, they may require less long-term professional help. If you don’t have a marketing background, you still might want to consult an agency like Fortress. Business owners will be able to more clearly see what the results are saying about the success of their campaign. The responsive ads that use machine learning will help you to optimize your budget by more quickly assessing which campaigns are working and which ones aren’t. While the platform is more streamlined, if you don’t have a marketing background, you still might want to consult an agency like Fortress.

Will consumers see any change in their ad experience?

The biggest change will be the ability to turn targeted ads on and off. Google will still show you ads, but your data won’t be used to decide which ones you see. Eventually, search ads will become more relevant to you (if you allow targeted ads). Google is allowing marketers to use more characters in the headlines and descriptions which will give you a clearer idea of what the ad will lead you to. This may result in search ads giving you more relevant results than before.

 

Overall, Google’s marketing rebrand will make life much easier for marketers by integrating all their services into one platform. And, although Google has streamlined the process of paid ad marketing, you should still consult an agency. We’ve taken over several campaigns where the client started it themselves and couldn’t clearly see their results or wasted their budget trying to figure it out. In either scenario, we could quickly overhaul and revamp the campaigns to run more efficiently and maximize their budgets. Google has been the leader in paid digital advertising for a long time and is only getting stronger. Check out the recording of the broadcast here if you want to learn more in-depth about the changes happening in the world of Google Ads.

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Brand

There are many mistakes people make that eventually ruin their business. Knowing what these mistakes are is a great way to keep your businesses running. This is a list of the 10 most common mistakes when building your brand:

1. Not Having a Clear Vision

If you don’t have a clear vision for your company, that can negatively affect your ability to make your business successful. Your vision is our goal for your business. You need to know where you want to take your business in the years to come.

2. Lack of Websites

Your website is the first place clients, and potential clients go to learn about your company. Having a confusing, or unfinished website will scare away any visitor. Their first impression of your business is from your website, and when your business doesn’t match your website, that will affect your ability to be successful. Don’t leave your website for last. There are people than can help with that. Take a look at our portfolio page to see some of our clients that came to us to build their website.

3. Not Conveying a Clear Message

People need to figure out what your company is about from your content. If they don’t know what they are looking at, they wont be able to understand what your business truly does. It’s important that you don’t have any typos, or grammatical errors as this could lead to potential clients thinking that your intern work is as sloppy as your site. You may only get one impression with that customer. You want to present yourself, and your company as professional as possible. Proofread before publishing!

4. Not Googling Yourself

75% of people don’t go beyond the first page. If your name or company is not coming up on the top of the list, that’s business your losing. Know what people see when they google you. Make sure your organization is shown in the best light. You can use SEO and PPC to help you with ranking higher on the search chain. Not sure what SEO and PPC is? That’s okay, check out our SEO and PPC site to learn more.

5. Can’t Explain What You Do

Remember the elevator pitch. Can you convey what you do and who you are in 30 seconds or less? People don’t have time to waste. Get to the point, be engaging, and have a listening ear. It’s not just about the business, it’s also about building relationships.

6. Not Thinking Outside the Box

Be open minded. Think of new ways to get more traffic. Your competition might also be thinking of how to get ahead, beat them to the punch. A little bit of creativity goes a long way.

7. Not Paying Attention to Marketing

You don’t have to have a massive budget. Having an online presence that represents you is the key to success. Explore different marketing options. If you need help, hire people who know how to minimize the risk. A good tip is engaging your social media followers when they like or comment any of your posts. This helps give your business a sense that you care about your followers and will make them more likely to share and recommend your site.

8. Failing to Analyze Data

Everything is based on data. Numbers never lie. Pay attention to objective data. Website traffic is what is used to make impactful decisions. Don’t ignore it. There are people that can help with that.

9. Never Learning

Keeping up with everything is important. Stay up to date with the newest technology and newest trends is important to keep your business up to date. Realizing that the world is changing around you can help your business stay ahead of the curve.

10. Not Having a Sense of Urgency

Never wait until later. Delaying some of these issues can impede your business from growing. Handle tasks when they first arise. Leaving it for later can negatively impact your business, and your profits. If you leave clients waiting around they might go and find another person who will get their needs met in a timely manner.

Don’t Be Everything to Everyone

Very early on in business there is a struggle to provide anything a client may ask for, even if it lies outside the realm of your expertise. We were no different. We were hungry (and still are, under the right circumstances) for any piece of business that we could get our hands on. You need a call center set up? We can do that. You need your network security tested? We’ve got this. Even though those requests were well outside our core competencies, we still figured that we could get the job done, add a new client to our list, and help—our bottom line.

As our client list grew, and we could show some selectivity with the projects we took on, we learned an extremely valuable lesson: it’s better to do a few things exceptionally well than do several things average. Clients want to work with exceptional people that do exceptional work and have an exceptional knowledge of their craft.

Our experience in advertising and marketing along with our expertise and technical capability in digital media provides us the ability to do exceptional work for our clients. There are plenty of digital media and web service firms that do great work. There are also a plethora of ad agencies hungry for your business. What we found to be exceptional (and our clients can attest to this) is the ability to bridge the gap and go beyond simply launching a website. We actually help create viable and sustainable brands.

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