Creating Content for Millennials: Why It
Matters + Strategies for Success
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#thinkcontent | @newscred
+
Creating Content for Millennials: Why It
Matters + Strategies for Success
#thinkcontent | @newscred
+
Marcus StollHead of Marketing EMEANewsCred@stollyolly
Joe PuglisiDirector of Creative StrategyBuzzFeed@joefi
Millennial is the word on every brand’s mind.
Full disclosure:This webinar is being hosted by two millennials.
Full disclosure:This webinar is being hosted by two millennials.
The sad truth: we aren’t impressed.
AGENDA• What is a millennial, and why do they matter?
• Current state of marketing to millennials.
• The BuzzFeed formula for effective content.
• What makes good content, and things to consider when creating it.
• Q&A
What is a millennial, and why
do they matter?Current state of marketing
to millennials.
What makes good content, and what should you think
about when creating it?The BuzzFeed formula.
There’s been a fundamentalshift in the way we create,
consume, and share content.
Every single day…
4.75 billion pieces of content are shared
1.8 billion photos are uploaded and shared
500 million Tweets are posted
700 million Snapchats are sent
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1982MILLENNIALS | GENERATION Y
MILLENNIALS | GENERATION Y
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1982
Early 2000s
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BUT WHAT DOES‘MILLENNIAL’MEAN FOR MARKETERS?
INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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INFLUENTIAL MILLENNIALS
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MILLENNIALS MATTER
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82 millionContent consumers*
85%+Smartphone users**
$1.4 trillionSpending by 2020*
83%Connect w/ a brand on social media***
*eMarketer 2014 millennial roundup **Nielsen ***SDL
Our Goals andApproach
What makes good content, and what should you think
about when creating it?The BuzzFeed formula.
Current state of marketingto millennials.
What is a millennial, and why
do they matter?
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WE SUCK AT TALKING TO THEM
6%Influenced by online advertising
45%Don’t find content compelling enough to share*
32%Find brand communications helpful
*2014 Yahoo Study: Content Marketing: Best Practices Among Millennials
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Why isn’t your content winning the hearts of
millennials everywhere?
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WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
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WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
You aren’t being useful or helpful
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WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
You aren’t being useful or helpful
Your content is boring and stupid
#thinkcontent | @newscred
WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
You aren’t being useful or helpful
Your content is boring and stupid
#thinkcontent | @newscred
WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
You aren’t being useful or helpful
Your content is boring and stupid
You haven’t changed your delivery methods
#thinkcontent | @newscred
WHY YOUR CONTENT MARKETING IS NOT WORKINGYour demographics are too broad
You aren’t being useful or helpful
Your content is boring and stupid
You haven’t changed your delivery methods
Your content doesn’t evoke emotion
It's funny
It's thought provoking
It's a cause I believe in
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Millennials share content when:
NewsCred Millennial Survey 2014
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IT’S ABOUT TIMETHAT WECHANGE UPOUR APPROACH
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IT’S ABOUT TIMETHAT WECHANGE UPOUR APPROACH
OLD WAY
Brand-led
Ad campaigns
Demographics
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IT’S ABOUT TIMETHAT WECHANGE UPOUR APPROACH
NEW WAY
Value-driven
Always-on content
The individual
3 BRANDS THAT ARE
DOING IT RIGHT
• Targeted, shareable content for exclusiveprogramming
• Interactive Twitter event
• Custom Twitter hashtag for popular character
• Developed and launched mobile app filled withshareable content
Netflix: Reaching millennials where they live
*NY Daily News, 2014*Mashable, 2014
• Targeted, shareable content for exclusiveprogramming
• Interactive Twitter event
• Custom Twitter hashtag for popular character
• Developed and launched mobile app filled withshareable content
Netflix: Reaching millennials where they live
*NY Daily News, 2014*Mashable, 2014
98,407Social mentions, 98% positive*
50M+Overall subscriptions, w/ CEO + CFO attribute to #OITNB*
THE RESULTS
Verizon: Maintaining cultural relevance • Gen Y cares: sustainability, LGBT equality,
animalrescue, helping the poor, etc
• 37% of millennials receptive to cause mar-keting(Rosetta Marketing)
• Inspire Her Mind campaign focused on the seriousdisparity between women and men in collegescience and math programs.
Verizon: Maintaining cultural relevance • Gen Y cares: sustainability, LGBT equality,
animalrescue, helping the poor, etc
• 37% of millennials receptive to cause mar-keting(Rosetta Marketing)
• Inspire Her Mind campaign focused on the seriousdisparity between women and men in collegescience and math programs.
1.3M+Video views in first few weeks
Slate, HuffPo, AdWeekCommended the ad, calling it “thought-provoking,” “important,” and “a blast of refreshing cool air.”
THE RESULTS
VICE: Creating the content of the future • “Millennials lost trust in politicians and experts and systems
[social security, etc.]” –Eddie Moretti, VICE’s Chief Content Officer.
• The liberation of information.
• Engaged in direct conversations with their fans. They care deeplyabout the world they live in, and were looking for a non-tra-ditionalsource to keep them informed.
VICE: Creating the content of the future • “Millennials lost trust in politicians and experts and systems
[social security, etc.]” –Eddie Moretti, VICE’s Chief Content Officer.
• The liberation of information.
• Engaged in direct conversations with their fans. They care deeplyabout the world they live in, and were looking for a non-tra-ditionalsource to keep them informed.
61%Of website viewers are millennial traffic*
6+ millionYouTube subscribers, publishing up to one new video daily
THE RESULTS
*comScore
15% 31%
30% 16% 2%
When asked how much millennials read communications from brands:
Always Most of the time
Sometimes Rarely Never
NewsCred Millennial Survey 2014
Socia
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ia
Compa
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site
newsle
tter
Articles
abou
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rand
Throu
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Text
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None o
f the a
bove
0%
20%
40%
60%
When asked where millennials engage with brands:
NewsCred Millennial Survey 2014
Custom ContentShare on-brand stories and recipes which are created specifically for your brand.
Social ContentLeverage snackable content through UGC that engages your target audience.
Licensed ContentBoost credibility, publishing cadence, and direct traffic with a high-volume of fully-licensed, compliant content.
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UTILIZE THE RIGHT MIX OF CONTENT, AND SCALE IT
Current state of marketingto millennials.
What makes good content, and what should you think
about when creating it?Building our Newsroom
and DistributionThe BuzzFeed formula.
What is a millennial, and why
do they matter?
Current state of marketingto millennials.
The Results ofour EffortsThe BuzzFeed formula.
What is a millennial, and why
do they matter?
What makes good content, and what should you think
about when creating it?
BuzzFeed
The Evolution of BuzzFeed
Experminentation is in BuzzFeed’s DNAExperimentation in in BuzzFeed’s DNA
BuzzFeed’s Journet to Date
BuzzFeed’s Journey to Date
What Began as an Experiment in 2006
Became BuzzFeed Today
200M - 1B – 54%
BuzzFeed is at the intersection of content and technology
BuzzFeed.com Monthly Views
BuzzFeed Mobile App Active Users
BuzzFeed Video Views
Things to Consider When Creating Content
Testing and Learning is Key
Create
Distribute
Impact
Data
Technology
Talent
Create – Distribute - Impact
Millennials live in the feed, so meet them there.
Referrals to BuzzFeed
Impressions in the Stream
Ho can we have a big impact
Push content to the stream, not just links
BuzzFeed Classic
BuzzFeed Today
So What Makes Good Content?
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QUESTIONS?