Although many American consumers still rely on traditional media as a main source for their daily dose of current events and news, did you know about 1 out of 5 Millennials, those between the ages of 19 to 29 (myself included), rely on social media for their news?
According to University of Texas at Austin professor and author of “Millennials, News, and Social Media: Is News Engagement a Thing of the Past?” Paula Poindexter:
- Millennials describe traditional news as garbage, lies, one-sided, propaganda, repetitive and boring
- Millennials feel “talked down to” by traditional media
- Millennials are more likely than their baby boomer parents to access news with smartphones and apps and share news through social media, texting and email
But despite Millennials favoring social media over traditional news, it doesn’t necessarily mean they turn a blind eye to what’s going on in current events. They simply access the information differently—through social media. Millennials have grown up constantly attached to what’s going on in the world through technology and don’t have a need to wait for a morning paper or the 10 o’clock news to know what’s happening, easy as that.
This tells us two things about when and how to talk to Millennials in our marketing. When “informing,” there is a fine line between being boring, repetitive or obstructive. There is also a need to give them access to content when and how they want it. Millennials are twice as likely as adults to watch or download TV shows online, so as marketers we need to think outside of the :30 TV spot to reach these consumers.
Where do you go for news? Are you a social media guru or a news traditionalist?
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