The teen and young adult markets offer lucrative opportunities but you have to be ready against intensive competition. There is only one word to capture the essence of teen marketing – COOL. Although business experts find it hard to define coolness, brands like iPhone,YouTube, Apple, and Google exemplify the so-called “x factor”. Below are some basic tips to help your small business get that enigmatic coolness:

Go Beyond Demographics

The teen market is very tricky and many entrepreneurs made the fatal mistake of lumping together all the teens as one big target market. Inside this seemingly homogeneous market are subgroups with diverse needs and wants. The 13-year olds are very different from the 15 or 19 year olds. Decide which teen subgroup to target first and customize your marketing campaign accordingly.

Partner with Gadget and Gaming Websites

An interesting study from eMarketer advises marketing guys to take advantage of the teen proclivity for using consumer electronics and entertainment devices, and for visiting websites about gadgets and gaming.

Over two-thirds of people in this age group own PCs, DVD players, home stereos, mobile phones or handheld devices. Additionally, one-quarter own MP3 players and Internet-enabled or camera phones. But gaming presents the best opportunity for marketers who wish to reach this audience. Over 90% own a gaming device, and three-quarters play online and offline games on their PC.

Be a Teenager

See the world from a teenager’s perspective to make your content and communication approach relevant. Know what magazines and social networking websites they read, favorite movies and TV shows, celebrities they love to hate, and other activities. Try hanging out at Starbucks and you might pick up some valuable information about this market.