creating content for millennials: why it matters + strategies for succss

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 marketingto 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

#thinkconte

nt

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1982

MILLENNIALS | 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

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@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 |

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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

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

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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 Newsroomand Distribution

The 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?