The ABC is set to trial broadcasting news through Instagram in a bid to get the digital generation – millennials – to watch more news.
According to Nielsen, millennials are among the most mobile media consumers and as a generation are much more likely to seek out news online over other mediums like free to air TV.
Capitalising on this, the ABC is set to experiment with news videos on Instagram, focusing on topics that younger the audience cares about.
The national broadcaster said in an article: “Social media is the most obvious place where this audience congregates, and Instagram was the most attractive platform, being video-centric and ripe for growth.
“We knew it was important that, instead of trying to lure young people toward a radio or television most of them don’t even own, we needed to bring the news, in a palatable form, to them.”
The ABC said the stories that will be featured on Instagram are made by young people for young people and are “influenced by what our young audiences have told us they want to know.”
According to the broadcaster, the move will be experimental and conceded “some stories might flop”.
The ABC said it hopes by the end of this project it will have a better idea of what kind of news content younger audiences want, as well as a defined way of making that content.
Here’s an example of some of the news the ABC is experimenting with broadcasting on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8cyGRDp-mX/