5 Keys to Engaging Young People (Screw Awareness; We Want Action!)

Let’s be honest….engaging young people is tough.

We’ll admit it…and it’s our job!

Getting this hard-to-reach generation with short attention spans and a demand for instant gratification to act on your social good initiative is just plain hard.

Add to this the pressure to drive real impact, not merely website visitors or event attendees. These “vanity metrics” may look good, but they don’t necessarily result in substantive positive change.

Rather, it’s what young people actually do with the information you give them to act that matters; and it’s this “last mile” that’s the hardest part.

It’s what young people actually do with the information you give them to act that matters; and it’s this “last mile” that’s the hardest part.

Don’t worry! There are effective, actionable, data-driven solutions.

At DoSomething Strategic, we know the triggers that inspire young people to move beyond awareness and take action. Our expertise is grounded in data drawn from our unique relationship with DoSomething.org, which meticulously tracks the interactions of its 5.4 million members to optimize its over 275 cause campaigns.

We tap into that rich data to tell our clients things like the causes young people care about (hint: it’s everything!), the images they click on, the social networks they use to share their opinions, and the actions they want to take.

Here are five data-driven tenants that should help get you started in creating your own compelling calls to action and drive greater impact.

1. Call to Action.

Certain types of actions resonate more than others with young people. Whether it’s “Share something,” “Host an event,” or “Improve a space,” it’s important to use the engagement action types that drive toward your activation goals and align with what young people want to do.

2. Commitment Level.

Efficient, bold, and high-impact activations are not only dependent on the activity, but also other factors–most notably, the time required to participate.

3. Peer Pressure.

Young people want to know, “Who else is doing this?” In fact, it is the single biggest factor that influences their decision to participate.

4. Urgency.

A sense of urgency around social issues motivates young people to engage. Deadlines drive them action.

5. Simplicity and Specificity.

Young people don’t want too much choice choice when it comes to social impact. They want clear instructions, and they want brands and organizations to lead them.

TL;DR

Driving young people beyond awareness to action is hard, but not impossible. Craft simple, impactful actions that align with how they want to get involved and leverage influential elements like peer involvement and deadlines. Let’s do this!

About DoSomething Strategic

DoSomething Strategic is the data-driven social impact consultancy arm of DoSomething.org. We help brands and organizations engage young people for positive social change. We combine proprietary data with a deep understanding of what young people care about to help clients build relationships with this unique demographic and activate them for social good. Our expertise is grounded in moving 6 million DoSomething.org members — ages 13–25 in every area code in the United States and in 131 countries worldwide — to take social action, and we’ve been doing this work successfully day in and day out for over 25.