Your tried-and-true B2B marketing playbook is failing with more than half of today’s engineering workforce. Not because the engineers are difficult to reach, but because you’re using strategies built for a different generation.

The good news? Our latest research with over 1,000 electrical engineers reveals exactly what works—and what’s wasting your budget. Here are five tactical shifts that can transform how you reach Millennial and Gen Z engineers.

1. Stop Optimizing for Search Engines, Start Optimizing for Direct Access

Here’s a statistic that should change your content strategy immediately: Millennial/Z engineers use manufacturer websites 17 points less than Career Pros, and their search engine usage drops even more sharply.

They’re not typing “semiconductor specifications” into Google. They’re going straight to parts aggregators, peer forums, and direct manufacturer portals. They expect answers, not search results.

What to do instead:

• Make your manufacturer site a destination, not a pit stop. Engineers should find datasheets, application notes, comparison tools, and reference designs without hunting.
• Invest in partnerships with aggregator sites and technical communities where Millennial/Z engineers actually spend time.
• Create content that’s linkable and shareable within team communications tools—because these engineers make decisions collaboratively.

2. Embed Standards into Your Tools, Not Your Documentation

When asked about compliance resources, Millennial/Z engineers showed a clear preference: they’re nearly twice as likely as Career Pros (22% vs. 13%) to rely on design tools with embedded standards rather than reference databases.

This generation doesn’t want to cross-reference compliance requirements manually. They want tools that automate the thinking.

What to do instead:

• Offer BOM tools, product configurators, and simulation platforms with built-in compliance checking.
• Create interactive selection guides that filter options based on regulatory requirements automatically.
• Position your brand around “compliance built-in,” not “compliance documentation available.”

3. Build for Early-Stage Design, Not Just Final Specification

Millennial/Z engineers are most active during conceptual design, testing, and prototyping—the messy, exploratory phases where decisions are still fluid. Yet most B2B marketing content is written for engineers who already know exactly what they need.

What to do instead:

• Create educational content for the exploration phase: “How to choose between X and Y,” not just “X product specifications.”
• Offer evaluation kits, reference designs, and simulation tools that reduce risk during prototyping.
• Develop content that answers “Should I?” questions, not just “How do I?” questions.

Remember: 54% of Millennial/Z engineers contact suppliers on at least half of their projects. They’re reaching out for guidance, not just datasheets. Make it easy to find you, and valuable to engage with you.

4. Create Content Formats They Actually Want to Consume

Both generations want product comparisons and tutorials, but there’s a massive gap in format preferences. Millennial/Z engineers show significantly more interest in:

• Video tutorials and walkthroughs
• Insights from industry influencers and trusted voices
• Business news and trend-based content
• Interactive formats over static documentation

Meanwhile, they’re engaging less with printed textbooks, traditional magazines, and even lengthy whitepapers.

What to do instead:

• Produce short-form video content that demonstrates rather than explains.
• Invest in thought leadership from recognizable technical experts (not just your product marketing team).
• Create modular, snackable content that engineers can consume in the moment of need—not 20-page PDFs they’ll download and never read.
• Make every piece of content shareable across Slack, email, and collaboration platforms.

5. Position Around Brand Trust, Not Just Technical Superiority

Here’s the insight that surprises most B2B marketers: Millennial/Z engineers are four times more likely than Career Pros to cite brand loyalty as a purchase decision factor. They care more about company image and reputation than their predecessors did.

When choosing distributors, they prioritize certified components and supply chain reliability over product breadth. They’re not just buying parts—they’re buying confidence.

What to do instead:

• Tell your brand story, not just your product story. What do you stand for? How are you innovating? Why should they trust you for the next 20 years of their career?
• Emphasize anti-counterfeiting measures, traceability, and supply chain transparency in your messaging.
• Invest in responsive, knowledgeable technical support—because inadequate manufacturer support is a top frustration for this generation.
• Build content that supports their internal conversations with procurement and supervisors, giving them ammunition to advocate for your brand.

The AI Factor You Can’t Ignore

One more tactical consideration: 45% of Millennial/Z engineers are already using AI tools, with another 22% planning to adopt. They’re using AI for conceptual design, code generation, product selection, and visualization.

This means your content needs to be AI-friendly—structured, crawlable, and compatible with how large language models retrieve and present information. If a chatbot can’t easily parse and surface your technical content, you’re invisible to a growing segment of your audience.

These Tactics Work—If You Implement Them Now

The engineers reading this blog post won’t wait for you to adapt. They’re forming supplier preferences today, building relationships that will shape their purchasing decisions for decades.

The tactics above aren’t theoretical. They’re based on comprehensive research into how Millennial and Gen Z engineers actually work, learn, and buy. But these five strategies are just the starting point.

Get the Complete Tactical Playbook (Free for Now)

The full Engineering Insight Report includes detailed breakdowns of:

• The specific design phases where Millennial/Z engineers are most engaged
• Channel-by-channel research and purchasing behavior data
• Content format preferences with side-by-side generational comparisons
• AI adoption patterns and integration opportunities
• Distributor selection criteria and purchasing pathways

We’re making the complete report available as a free download for a limited time—this is the last year we’ll offer this level of insight at no cost. Starting with next year’s edition, this research will be premium content available for purchase.

[Download your free copy of the 2024 Millennial and Gen Z Engineering Report] and get the data-driven tactics you need to reach more than half of today’s engineering workforce.

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Don’t let competitors get there first. Download the report today and start implementing strategies that actually work with the now generation of engineers.