#APMillennials: Where do we go from here?
In our final segment, we ask our panel what companies can do going forward to reach millennials and new audiences.
We want to hear from you. Have feedback about the blog? Want to learn more information about a particular topic? We’re happy to get in touch. Please fill out the adjacent form or email us at insights@ap.org.
Learn more about media and technology with Insights – join us as we share perspectives from around the industry and provide tips and tricks for how to navigate emerging trends.
To gain a deeper understanding of the evolving world we live in and the people who work with us around the globe, subscribe to Insights and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you are interested in a particular topic, please use the contact form at the top of the page to reach us directly for more information.
In our final segment, we ask our panel what companies can do going forward to reach millennials and new audiences.
Media organizations are still working out their best practices for reaching millennials, our panel concluded.
“It’s one of the most exciting things about right now,” CBSNews.com senior executive producer Nancy Lane said. “It’s like, we’re all going to try different stuff. That idea that you learned in all those management classes? Try it, throw it up against the wall, see what sticks? We’re really having to live it in real time.”
Whatever changes organizations make, though, require a coordinated effort between the newsroom and other parts of the business. Mixed messages will confuse audiences young and old, and likely contract — rather than expand — your customer base.
Also make sure to develop a consistent brand voice across all of your distribution channels, one of which must be social media. Facebook, Twitter and others are not only places for your content to live, but also avenues for listening and learning about your established and desired audiences.
“The most sophisticated use of social that we see is publishers watching the conversation that’s occurring in social in certain areas, in certain topics, and then creating content that fits the conversation,” said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute.
For those organizations that are struggling to come up with successful marketing strategies, they can take cues from others who cater well to millennials.
Said Megan Hess, an associate editor at Mashable: “I think we’re really just scratching the surface.”
To see each panelist’s perspective, click here.
Jake is the text and multimedia product manager at The Associated Press and the former editor of Insights. He previously covered college sports as a reporter for AP and helped design its multi-year strategic plan.