#MillennialRetirementPlans

Many of you probably assume that retirement is the furthest thing from the minds of the mid-20s to early 30s crowd. However, a deep dive into a trending Twitter hashtag reveals this generation is thinking about retirement after all. A quick Twitter search of #MillennialRetirementPlans brings up a mixed bag of posts that sheds light on the generation’s perspectives on life after retirement. Some are funny, some are absurd, and a few are even poignant and devoid of sarcasm. However, all of them give the impression that a large portion of the youngest members of today’s workforce have no idea how they’re going to build a nest egg.

Unsurprisingly, student loan debt is a factor many believe will be a roadblock to retirement. Compounding those concerns is the possibility of that debt being passed on to children and spouses, rather than leaving them an actual inheritance.

But at least a few are holding onto hope that they’ll pay off that debt in time to start saving.

While others have lost hope altogether.

Some are pointing a finger at older generations.

Some are relying on them.

Or their own children.

Pessimism aside, at least they’re talking about retirement.

The question is, are you joining the conversation?

If advisors can take anything away from #MillennialRetirementPlans, it’s that the need for education about retirement is at an all-time high. Thanks to the still trending hashtag, advisors can easily connect with the Millennial market to offer that education. As you might have noticed from the tone of these tweets, this is not exactly a consumer base who would feel comfortable spending money on the services of a financial advisor. However, a little coaxing might eventually convince them otherwise.

Leverage this opportunity by attaching the #MillennialRetirementPlans hashtag to posts that offer free whitepapers or e-books, podcasts, or brief videos that cover the advantages of budgeting early for retirement. These are all popular forms of media within this target market and will likely draw more attention than a simple link to an article. A more direct method of engagement would be to personally respond to some of these tweets. Twitter’s search engine features an option that only shows results from users near your location. This is a great way to target potential prospects.

When crafting your content and social media posts, address the tangible aspects of a savings strategy. Many of these consumers genuinely don’t believe that their budget will allow them to set anything aside for later in life. Throwing a sheet of infographics and hypothetical situations won’t help ease those concerns. Instead, take a commonsense approach by getting to know their situation and offering solutions that are within their reach.

With any luck, you’ll turn an outlook as bleak as this:

Into this:

**This post is part of Legacy Financial Partners' ongoing Marketing Corner, a space that offers advisors short sales ideas, yellow-pad concepts, and alerts to aid advisors in lead conversion, marketing, and client relationship building.