Millennials and The Future of eCommerce Content Marketing“The future of content marketing lies with Millennials.”

Tech Radar

Although Millennials are huge media consumers

– reportedly spending up to 18 hours a day with a variety of content channels -

they claim content doesn’t influence them.

According to a study by

In fact, 45% of Millennials say they aren’t interested or compelled by

content from marketers.

Is content marketing a failed strategy for Millennials?

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Millennials do react to content marketing, yet the content marketing strategies that worked for previous generations won’t necessarily see success with them.

• They are turned off by traditional forms of advertising and wary of brand-sponsored marketing.

• They want to get involved and have a say in how they connect with products and services.

• They are less likely to respond to hard advertising and more likely to be drawn to relationships with companies.

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In short, Millennials need a different type of content marketing.

The

#selfiegeneration wants

#selfiecontent marketing.

UGC isn’t just taking up their time – it’s making impressions.

Out of all their time spent consuming media, about 30% of it is spent with

user-generated content (UGC).

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In fact, they trust information they receive through UGC 50% more than

information from other media sources.

Millennials trust and remember UGC

more than every other type of media. UGC

More than 50% of Millennials consult UGC before making big purchases, and UGC is 20% more influential on their

purchase decisions than other types of media.

Harnessing UGC in your user content marketing pays off with this crowd.

So how can youleverage UGC in yourcontent marketing strategy?

Millennials grew up surrounded by media and are much less influenced by traditional marketing messages. In contrast,

they like to hear advice from peers, so display peer reviews and testimonials in place of traditional advertisements.

Use peer reviews and testimonials.

Millennials are much more wary of giving out their information and much less trusting when it comes to digital privacy. Make sure you make it clear how you will use their content, and ask for as little information from them as possible.

Don’t abuse their user content or risk losing their trust.

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Invite them to participate and let them know their input matters.

To get through to them, it’s vital to use language that appeals to their power as mature individuals.

These generations are pros on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, so make sure you are using these platforms to

give them valuable content that invites a conversation.

There’s no excuse for not harnessing the power of social media!

The changing tides of marketing are bringing many new trends – brands as publishers, content as king, and advertising

as storytelling. Among all the trends and buzzwords, there is one lesson that is here to stay…

The future generations will not simply consume content.

They want to be part of the conversation.

They want to be content creators.

It’s a transparent, connected way to let your audience speak.

Customer content marketing is marketing for the people,

by the people.