Millennials are an elusive bunch. While these Generation Y-ers are tech-savvy, they are very tough when it comes to hard-selling.

They may not be loyal to companies, but they are extremely loyal to brands.

This powerful sector is comprised of people born roughly from the late 1980s to 2000s. Having grown up on a steady diet of viral content, they are tech-savvy individuals who spend longer than 10 hours online every week.

They are described as independent, optimistic, comfortably self-reliant, self-confident, lifestyle-centered, hopeful, goal-oriented, and success-driven.

Marketers should consider them a critical part in their brands’ promotional campaigns. Otherwise, they will miss a lot of opportunities from millennials whose spending power is estimated at $600 billion per year and predicted to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of this huge purchasing power? So as early as now, set your digital marketing strategies right and be attentive to the online needs of the millennials.

You can make use of the following ways as a start:

1. Use social media to share videos.

Oh, we’re not saying text will die. We’re just saying that online videos will become more prominent this year, especially after a survey by the New York Times released last quarter in 2013 shows that roughly one in three Millennials watches less TV than online videos, or no TV at all. The same report shows 50 percent of the 18- to 34-year-olds watching video online at least once a day.

It does not take a genius marketer to put two and two together and figure out that one way to effectively get the attention of millennials for their brands is through “shareable” and entertaining videos.

Even Ryan Holmes, chief executive officer of Hootsuite, predicted how millennials will help fuel a major trend in video sharing on the web, saying that this particular demographic is comfortable with consuming and sharing online video.

Then we saw how Instagram play into this trend with Vine in 2013. And Snapchat, which also allows users to share short video clips and images (as well as text) that only last for a few seconds, is doing extremely well.

2. Use social media to engage with millennials.

But don’t spam or harrass them.

Take into account the results of the survey released by Render Positive in December 2013.

With 53 percent respondents who said that they used Facebook as a source of entertainment, be reminded to make your content entertaining on Facebook and across all your social media channels.

With over 49 percent who admitted to have used social media to find information about a brand, or to make a complaint, take the cue to set up an efficient online customer feedback system using social media.

With 57 percent of the millennials wanting competitions and freebies from brands, act on the signal by rewarding your fans and followers with exclusive offers, promotions, and competitons.

Your engagement should also be encompassing; meaning, you are always and promptly accessible and responsive to the concerns of your fans and followers. Millennials appreciate that.

3. Use social media to update millennials about your brand.

But don’t flood their feed.

If there is one thing that really annoys millennials about brands, it is posting too much. Sure, millennials love brands that keep them informed, according to the same study by Render Positive, but there is a certain amount of information they want–just about enough for them to identify with the brand without getting drowned.

Essentially, millennials want to save and be entertained; they want value for their money even when they have significant spending power. They want to connect with brands on their own terms. Phew! Those can be a lot to take in for marketers who want to increase their brands’ sales. But then again, who doesn’t love a challenge? We at Third Team Media do! So if you want us to engage the millennials for your brand, give us a buzz!