10 Blogging Tips for Appealing To Millennials

Today we’ve got a guest post by Laura Buckler. Read more about how you can guest post on Christian Web Trends here.

Are Millennials walking away from their faith?

Research from Pew Research Center found out that Millennials (born 1981-1996) are more likely to identify as either atheist or agnostic. In fact, 65% of this generation do not consider themselves as religious and not interested in having religious conversations or getting engaged in any type of church events. That said engaging Millennial especially in a faith based online communication can have its share of challenges.

However, it is also interesting to note that the millennial generation value volunteering more than other generations with three out of 10 Americans under the age of 30 agreeing that it is a “very important obligation” to volunteer. This serves as a silver lining that shows that not everything is lost and that Millennials with this misunderstood generation.

But the question remains, how do you engage them? It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort especially if an online faith community is successful. You can appeal to most of them if you are privy to these 10 blogging secrets for engaging Millennials.

1) Have a purpose

Many Millennials will get on board once they see and understand that there is a purpose to doing something. Do not go all dogmatic on them as this is bound to turn them off. Instead, show how your community is working towards serving the greater good and helping out humanity.

2) Be sensitive

Millennials tend to be much more sensitive to social and cultural issues than previous generations. It does not take a lot to trigger their sense of outrage or injustice. Hence, be careful about how you deal with issues about faith. Controversy sells, and you might think that talking about a hot-button topic will garner you more attention, but you might find yourself in the middle of a heated debate that can hurt your online reputation.

3) Share interesting stories

Millennials will like you more if you make your content attention grabbing. They have things to do, and not much time to do it, so if you want to catch their attention, have a snappy headline and tell what it is all about it in the first few lines or seconds of your content. Give them interesting stories that will resonate with them. If you have a problem getting started, take your cue from the work of professional essay services.

4) Show that you care

Millennials are emotional creatures. They care deeply about many things: abandoned dogs, the environment, the homeless, sick children, and so on. Show your own caring side by talking about your favorite charities, green products you use, or a movement such as the Ice Bucket challenge. It’s not about focusing solely on faith and evangelism, but in concrete aspects of being a good person.

5) Provide content with value

Make your content relevant. Choose topics that will help Millennials answer questions they may have about their lives. This could be anything from dealing with bullies to better work-life balance. A good way to help Millennials deal with their hectic lives is to talk about finding sanctuary in their faith.

6) Empower them

Millennials have been characterized as whiners and self-absorbed people, which is unfair as well as untrue. Millennials are just trying to live their lives as best as they can as any other generation before and after them, so they need all the encouragement they can get. Post empowering content that will make them think that, yes, they are competent, and yes, they are worthy.

7) Be relatable

People love to hear success stories, mostly because of the shifting paradigms for the definition of success today. Tell them about all your small victories, even if it is just about an easier way to clean grout! Most people can relate to such stories, and make your community more engaging.

8) Curate good content and be proactive

Use your blog to get your audience to take action. Post content that will get them to rethink their own lives, and open discussions on how to make them better. Encourage them to get ahead of their problems with useful suggestions, such as the Volunteer programs.

9) Be sticky

It is not enough to get Millennials to read your content; they should remember it. You can do this by using infographics, images, or videos, as people in general are visual creatures and tend to remember visual content longer than text.

10) Ensure easy access to your community

Remember that Millennials use mobile technology more than traditional digital communications. You can improve your engagement by simply making your blog mobile-friendly.

Takeaway

Your blog is a great way to engage Millennials because you can make it a venue for information and inspiration rather than dogmatic preaching. Millennials are more likely to like you if you think of them first, and yourself second. Make them your focus, and your efforts will fall into place.