Developing an App For Millennials: What should you know?

A recent article on Research Live suggests that young people (aged 15-24) check their smartphones 387 times per day on average. This makes them a perfect audience to target using a mobile app.  

Which apps do millennials prefer?

According to statistics, the youth favored mobile apps all across the globe, but the categories of their most preferred ones are the same globally. Based on data from Statista and comScore, here are some of the most favored:

• Entertainment Apps  
• Social networking Apps
• Messenger/Chat Apps
• Photo Editing Apps
• Financial Guidance Apps
• Health and Fitness Apps
• Location-based services Apps
• Location-based dating apps

Why exactly are millennials so attracted to the types of apps we just mentioned? More importantly, what can you do to develop an app that appeals to them? Firstly, you need to understand millennials.

Factors like:

• When were they born, and what is their age?
• What concerns/motivates them?
• What is their typical day like?
• How do they spend their free time?
• What makes them anxious? What grabs their attention?

Five factors to include in your app to appeal millennials

1. The app should satisfy their need to be heard.

Millennials are susceptible to social changes, influences, moods, and circumstances. They are the most active creators of new ideas, theories, and projects in the internet space. If your target audience is the youth, it should respond to the desire to be supported and listened to.

2. Your app should help youngsters save or earn money.

Who does not like money, eh?

More interestingly, the fact that young people often do not have a stable income, they are more attracted to situations/apps to help them save money through great deals and participation in various loyalty programs. 

3. The app should motivate/inspire young people to pursue their goals

Young people often struggle with a sense of purpose. They find it hard to find a deeper meaning and fulfillment towards their lives. According to a study at Stanford University, many are motivated by family purposes, vocational purposes, religious and political beliefs, or even by the arts, sports, or a sense of civic duty.

Whatever inspiration you leverage to help these people pursue their goals, they should be able to share their achievements with others. This should include visual proof of completing a challenge and sharing possibilities like social sharing, news feeds, or even a leaderboard. 

4. Your app should help them express and also look remarkable

Young people are motivated by a sense of attention and affirmation. You can maybe add some retouching to unwanted selfies, making a casual photo seem like a professional shot through filters. Youngsters look forward to videos and pictures as a sense of achievement. 

5. Lastly and obviously, your app should be fun and entertaining

Nowadays, due to increased exposure to innovative technologies, there is always a need for constant entertainment. Millennials use technology the most, and hence it is no surprise that apps aimed at entertainment and fun are among the most used apps by the young generation. 

Wrapping Up    

Bottom line, if you are thinking about developing an app targeted at millennials, check if your app provides answers to these questions:

• Does it provide people with a community or a sense of attention and affirmation? 
• Does it provide anonymity and/or privacy features?
• Is it equipped with millennials’ needs towards fitness, education, jobs, or dating?
• Can it be considered a source for constant entertainment?
• Finally, does it provide a more accessible, cheaper, and quicker solution to simplify their lives?