Hi. My name is Erin and I’m a millennial. I’d like to think that I’m a pretty cool gal, but society has labeled me as a lazy narcissist who enjoys taking selfies more than enjoying life, while wasting all of my time on social media. But, believe it or not, millennials aren’t as much of self-absorbed zombies as the world may think. If we were, the media, and almost every other business, wouldn’t be trying to bring us into their businesses to tap into our brains. Quite frankly, we’re the only ones who really understand us. Here are a few tips the media can learn from us:
1. Millennials strive to be happy people.
This is a big secret, but it makes a big difference in what we are attracted to in the media. If you’re trying to get us to watch the news, you will not do it with a murder, robbery, and kidnapping rundown. We enjoy consuming content that will result in laughter, happiness, and self-help *cough BuzzFeed*. Lighten up.
2. Our “laziness” makes media work harder.
As much as we get criticized for being lazy, every news media outlet is bending over backwards to reach us. They’re trying to find innovative ways to get us to consume their content. I hate to break it to ya, but whether it’s a new app, or a social media posts, just because you’re in our atmosphere, does not automatically mean you are successful in being our friend. It’s like Mean Girls… if you don’t follow the rules, you can’t sit with us.
3. The number 1 rule: break the rules. We like it when you get all crazy.
The media is too structured. When you go into a newsroom, everyone runs to the same stories. But that’s not even the problem. Everyone put the same ‘wanna-be-witty’ captions over their Facebook posts to attract our clicks and calls it a day. But we want more. Take risks and deliver your content in a crazy way. I remember Taylor Swift was coming to DC, and WTTG Fox 5 did a Taylor Swift weather forecast. The weatherman used Taylor Swift lyrics to tell the weather, and it went viral almost instantly. That’s what we like.
4. We aren’t lazy. We just don’t have long attention spans.
Social media is our thing. But once you latch us, try to keep us. Drive us deeper into your site. Use lots of creative visual components. Write more with fewer words. Be funny if you can… if you’re not, please refrain. We are loyal to sources that make it easier for us to understand. It’s just that simple.
1. Millennials strive to be happy people.
This is a big secret, but it makes a big difference in what we are attracted to in the media. If you’re trying to get us to watch the news, you will not do it with a murder, robbery, and kidnapping rundown. We enjoy consuming content that will result in laughter, happiness, and self-help *cough BuzzFeed*. Lighten up.
2. Our “laziness” makes media work harder.
As much as we get criticized for being lazy, every news media outlet is bending over backwards to reach us. They’re trying to find innovative ways to get us to consume their content. I hate to break it to ya, but whether it’s a new app, or a social media posts, just because you’re in our atmosphere, does not automatically mean you are successful in being our friend. It’s like Mean Girls… if you don’t follow the rules, you can’t sit with us.
3. The number 1 rule: break the rules. We like it when you get all crazy.
The media is too structured. When you go into a newsroom, everyone runs to the same stories. But that’s not even the problem. Everyone put the same ‘wanna-be-witty’ captions over their Facebook posts to attract our clicks and calls it a day. But we want more. Take risks and deliver your content in a crazy way. I remember Taylor Swift was coming to DC, and WTTG Fox 5 did a Taylor Swift weather forecast. The weatherman used Taylor Swift lyrics to tell the weather, and it went viral almost instantly. That’s what we like.
4. We aren’t lazy. We just don’t have long attention spans.
Social media is our thing. But once you latch us, try to keep us. Drive us deeper into your site. Use lots of creative visual components. Write more with fewer words. Be funny if you can… if you’re not, please refrain. We are loyal to sources that make it easier for us to understand. It’s just that simple.