INSIGHT
an ongoing basis and share it with your audience on various media .
Creating and sharing this content will lead to continued engagement from your most interested targets . Links to operators anchored within this content will allow you to naturally and seamlessly push users to your partners , while at the same time providing these users with information they need to become better ( read : longer term )
players . An added benefit to this strategy is the fact that it highlights your own expertise in the field .
In the case of instructional content , you ’ re providing value by walking your audience through the necessary steps to taking some sort of action . That could be anything from analysing the odds of a given wager to hedging bets in such a way that you maximise your potential earnings and mitigate potential losses . Whatever the case , this is a content strategy that once again showcases your expertise , builds trust with your audience by giving them a form of insider information , and drives continued engagement through the sustainable value of the instructions you ’ re providing .
Lastly , you have inspirational content . In this case , the use of the term inspirational doesn ’ t relate to motivational phrases , but rather content that is inspirational in terms of the elicited actions . You can inspire your audience to try something new and different , and the best way to do this is to provide tips and tricks that might not be particularly obvious when you share , say , the standard instructions involved in a particular act . Again , this is a content type that drives repeat engagement and provides your audience with value .
Make it personal Personalising the content you share to Millennial audience segments is a two-step process . The first involves segmenting your audience of Millennials using one or several of many ( often free ) tools that are available to marketers . While this process could easily be a series of articles on its own ( and a process that I cover in fairly extensive detail in my upcoming book , Marketing to Millennials for Dummies ), in this case you could conduct this segmentation process by using Facebook ’ s Audience Analysis tool on your email lists to identify segments based on interests and behaviours . In this segmentation process , one of the important factors to look out for is the expressed ( or implied , based on likes and engagement with other brands on Facebook ) interests your audience possesses . These interests will allow you to get a better understanding of what makes your Millennial audience segments tick , which will allow for extensive
“ There are three stages of an initial content strategy : education , differentiation and motivation ”
customisation of your messaging . Customisation of your content is an important strategy because of the almost overwhelming amount of noise that exists online . Your audience can simply be too easily distracted by something else in a timeline or news feed to pay attention to your generic content . It needs to speak to your Millennial audience on a personal level , which will accomplish a number of objectives . First , personalised content will catch your audience ’ s initial attention . Once you have that , the more personalised the message , the longer your audience will be willing to stick around . The average attention span of online adults is only a handful of seconds . If you want to extend that , think customisation first . Lastly ,
personalised content will lead to faster relationship development and nurturing . The closer you can get to your Millennials , as noted in the previous strategy , the more loyal they will be and the greater their lifetime value becomes .
Rich and digestible Rich and easily digestible are two qualities that may not necessarily go together well in the world of dining , but when it comes to marketing , the more your content possesses these two qualities , the more successful it will be at driving your Millennial relationships forward . Rich media are pieces of content that leverage delivery methods beyond standard text . So , for example , an image or a video are forms of rich media . These are the types of content your Millennial audience will be most attracted to , and that will most effectively and rapidly deliver your message .
To make your content more digestible , the key is simplicity . You want your brand experience ( or buyer journey ) to be fluid and clear , and you want your messaging to be short , to the point and genuine . Authenticity ( discussed in the final strategy ) is key to the digestibility of your content . If Millennials come across content presented in a way that makes it simple , eye-catching and conversational ( also covered in the next strategy ) then the likelihood they will engage with it is increased significantly . That is especially true if you ’ ve followed the previously outlined strategy of making the content personalised to the audience segment .
By using rich media and developing a simple enough message that your content can be digested easily by Millennial consumers , you increase the chances that ongoing engagement can be derived from a particular segment of your audience . That ongoing engagement is crucial in the nurturing and strengthening of your Millennial relationships .
Conversational Your content should entice your Millennial audience to participate in a conversation . This doesn ’ t mean that you need to avoid your sales pitch at all costs ; you simply need to be smart about when and how it is integrated into your messaging . Millennials will spend money , despite what you
“ Customisation of your content is an important strategy because of the almost overwhelming amount of noise that exists online ” might have read , but they will spend it at their own discretion . This means that the aggressive sales tactic of new media will not only fall flat ( leading you to spend marketing dollars that lead nowhere ) but it also means that your brand will leave no lasting impression on your targeted Millennial audience . Instead of building relationships and loyalty , you ’ ll need to run ongoing brand awareness campaigns that target the same audiences , and this is simply a waste of resources in the long run . Conversational , authentic content is the remedy for this problem .
There are three stages of an initial content strategy : education , differentiation and motivation . In the education stage , you ’ re teaching your audience about the industry you ’ re in and the products or services that are available ( some of which you might offer ). This provides value to your audience ( the first strategy
46 iGB Affiliate Issue 62 APR / MAY 2017