Although I attend WRMC every year, work with many outdoor organizations and collaborate regularly with some of the nicest, most welcoming leaders I’ve ever met –  ironically, I still feel like an “outsider” among this group of hardcore mountaineers, heli-skiers and wilderness experts.

It’s not because I don’t enjoy the outdoors. I love snowboarding, diving, stand-up paddleboarding and take every opportunity to go on outdoor adventures when I travel.  But I do not identify as an “outdoorsy” person. And neither do most people in my demographic. Statistics show that most Asian American millennials like myself feel like a fish out of water in the Great Outdoors.

In the October issue of National Geographic, Timothy Egan points to a “passion deficit” for the outdoors among millennials. The director of the National Park Service is quoted saying millennials “are more separated from the natural world than perhaps any generation before them.” A 2016 report by the Outdoor Foundation found that only seven percent of Asian Americans participate in outdoor outings, the lowest among all minority groups surveyed. Only three percent of National Parks visitors are Asian.

Upon further self-reflection, research and discussions with my peers, I realized that the definition society has of an outdoorsy person is actually quite narrow and isn’t something we aspire to. The common refrain was “I enjoy the outdoors but I’m not outdoorsy.”

But as the country becomes a minority-majority nation and as millennials outpace older generations in population and buying power, the outdoor industry is challenged with converting new audiences to the lifestyle. To do this, outdoor organizations need to make the Great Outdoors more relatable. Some suggestions:

• Update the perception of an outdoorsy person from this:

To this:

The traditional image of an “outdoorsy” person is often that of an older person seeking solitude in nature. This isn’t the image millennials have of themselves, and isn’t an experience that we crave. We want to share experiences with our loved ones. We are not necessarily looking to commune with nature. We want to commune with our friends while enjoying nature’s bounties.

• I truly believe that the Great Outdoors has something for everyone. Update “outdoorsy” vocabulary to emphasize values that resonate most with millennials.

• Be present in pop culture. Seek out opportunities to engage with people on their own turf and on their own terms. Take for example this Buzzfeed list about camping hacks. Most millennials, especially urbanites, don’t know how to build a fire and would shy away from even trying. Show that you can start a fire with a handful of Doritos and the task becomes much less intimidating and a lot more fun.

As for me, I’m going to embrace a broader definition of “outdoorsy.” I am outdoorsy, I enjoy the Great Outdoors my way (and with pics to prove it).

Feeling small but not feeling alone at the Grand Canyon.

The post Redefining “Outdoorsy” appeared first on Fineman PR.

But how many brands are using – or thinking of using – a photo/video sharing app that has taken the social media app market by storm since its debut in 2011, Snapchat? With more than 700M “Snaps” (photos and videos) a day, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands and businesses to include Snapchat in their marketing and advertising strategies.

For anyone unfamiliar with Snapchat – and that may well include you if you’re older than 25 – it’s a mobile app that allows users to share videos and pictures with their friends. Unlike other photo-and-video-sharing apps, Snapchat images are intended to disappear from a recipient’s screen after several seconds. When users send a photo or video to one or several friends, the sender decides if it will “live” for one to 10 seconds.

Users also have the option to create Snapchat Stories – photos or videos that are automatically shared with their entire friend (follower) list. Snapchat Stories allow brands to connect and interact with consumers in a new way – a photo or video can be shared on a brand’s own Story which remains visible to followers for 24 hours before vanishing. A brand’s Story should be organic and true to its message and identity. The idea is for consumers to engage with and learn about a brand through a series of Stories.

As we approach the millennial segment, we have to do things differently to successfully engage this audience. Brands have to consider whether Snapchat is the right tool for them. Is your target audience active on Snapchat? Is it within budget? What’s your expected ROI? If and when your brand is ready to invest in Snapchat, there are several best practices to keep in mind before you dive in.

1.  Know your audience

This is almost always the first tip you’ll get, and there’s a reason for that. It’s great advice, and it’s imperative. Brands need to know their audiences, and well. Roughly half of Snapchat users are 12-17 years old; nearly a third (31 percent) are 18-24; and just one out of five (20 percent) is over 25.

While brands need to understand their demographic, they must also understand how their audience is using the app. What do they Snap day-to-day? How many times a day are they using/checking the app? Dig deep – relevant brand engagement requires understanding the millennial generation and communicating to a specific mindset.

2. Develop a focused approach

Millennials generally want to feel as if they are one-of-a-kind. Develop a strategy that caters to them in a unique way. A brand’s storytelling should give its audience a “behind the scenes” peek, such as building suspense about a new project or campaigning by sharing teasers. This type of approach will engage your audience and grow your followership. Follow these three important guidelines to build your presence on Snapchat:

• Build trust by displaying a deep understanding of the millennial generation.
• Connect relevantly and authentically by establishing a consistent brand voice.
• Amplify your story by creating shareable content that matters to your audience.

3. Incorporate fun, creative content to capture your audience’s attention

 Millennials respond to fun and creativity, so engage with them in fun, creative ways. This can include incorporating contests or sweepstakes in your Stories. If your brand takes this approach 1) keep instructions clear, 2) use more than one Snap to explain the process and requirements, and 3) keep the sweepstakes timeline short (e.g., 2-3 hours). Also, provide followers with exclusive prizes (remember, millennials love incentives) and use the chat feature to share legal language and communicate with winners.

Content must also be creative – use a stylus to help with doodles and writing or experiment with filters to enhance images. The choices are endless; explore options to discover what works best for your brand.

4. Measure your success (ROI)

 Measuring Snapchat success isn’t straightforward. As many in the communications industry know, success is usually measured by total secured media impressions, media coverage and messaging/tone. However, there are currently no comprehensive metrics for Snapchat. Still, success can be measured by engagement rate (total interactions/total followers – interactions include views, replies, replays and screenshots), open rate (how many followers opened your Snapchat Stories) and channel growth (how many followers you gained).

Finally, as with any effort that involves spending time, energy and resources, always keep in mind both the hope-for benefits and the app’s limitations.

The post Is Snapchat right for your brand? appeared first on Fineman PR.