Everywhere Agency’s work is truly about creating conversation and connections – between brands and consumers. With our Under the Influence events, we bring together influencers, agency representatives, and brand marketers to have IRL discussions about the challenges of influencer marketing and the trends that will change the landscape of the industry as it matures.

Our most recent event, Inside the Millennial Mind: Influencers Tell All, was all about – you guessed it – that coveted millennial demographic. We rounded up some of the Atlanta area’s most celebrated millennial influencers to share their perspectives on creating content for brands and building authentic connections.

Our panel featured insights from:

• Adriana Garcia of LatinXHikers – an Instagram venture launched last year with the aim of promoting inclusivity in the outdoor/hiking communities.
• Alyssa Fagien of ATL Bucket List – a blog and Instagram account that chronicles the best of Atlanta’s food and entertainment scene.
• Brian Kavanagh of The Sophisticated Caveman – A blog with an ever-expanding collection of paleo-centric recipes and tips.
• Sabrina Nooruddin Molu of Simply Sabrina – a fashion blog that’s evolved to encompass a variety of lifestyle content from fitness to girl boss inspiration.
• Erin Spain of Erin Spain – a home décor expert who also covers and lifestyle and travel content. She’s also the co-host of the NorthSouthMakers podcast.
• Dylan Strachan of Woodbrew – One half of the duo behind the successful YouTube channel and blog that teaches woodworking and furniture building to a new generation.

Millennials make up a quarter of the U.S. population, at 75 million strong, and are the most diverse generation in the country. So while a bespectacled, bearded hipster who still lives in his parents’ basement might come to mind as the quintessential representation of this demographic, the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of nuances among those who fit the millennial label.

Here are some of the things our panelists taught us to keep in mind:

Millennial State of Mind
By most standards, a millennial is anyone born between 1980 and the early 90s, but not everyone with a birth year in those parameters connects with the descriptor.

Some prefer not to self-identify as a millennial, like home décor expert Erin Spain. She does, however, celebrate her generations’ championing of entrepreneurship and creativity. So, when approaching millennial influencers, focus on the things you know they’re passionate about, as opposed to checking the box that they qualify as a part of the demographic you’re aiming to reach.

They’re Growing Up
Sabrina reminded us that she started her blog while she was still in college, but now she’s married and a homeowner. As her life evolves, her audience is maturing with her and is eager for content that reflects that. Brands who value the millennial market value the journey.

More Than Selfies
Our panelists agreed that good influencer marketing creates action – and ideally that action goes beyond a click or like. The most gratifying measurement of motivating their audience is seeing their followers take them up on their recommendations by tagging them in posts about the brand.

Changing Perceptions
When it comes to millennial stereotypes of being entitled or lazy, our influencer panel begged to differ. The Sophisticated Caveman, Brian, shared that brands often seem to be pleasantly surprised when they realize he has a strong work ethic and is willing to go the extra mile for his brand commitments.

Through Woodbrew, Dylan is actively working to shift the notion that building furniture is just a hobby for graying dudes in overalls. It’s his goal to continually expand their audience of young people looking to discover the joy of working with their hands.

Say what you will about millennials, but our influencer panelists are proof that this generation of savvy media consumers can’t be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach.