Learning From BuzzFeed – How Did it Become so Popular?

You’ve done it, your friends have done it, heck, even your parents might have done it at some point. Relax, though. We’re talking about taking a Buzzfeed quiz. The millennial-focused social entertainment channels are a household name today, and that’s because they capitalized on the age-old adage – “when in Rome, do as Romans do.”

Buzzfeed is an American media company that’s widely popular because its content resonates with the millennial and Gen-Z audience. Here’s how they made it big:

• Shareable quizzes:

Buzzfeed’s greatest assets are its quizzes. Simple yet effective, they include topics like – “Which Hogwarts House do you belong to?” or “Which Friends character are you?” and so on. 

These quizzes have great shareable value and generate a massive amount of engagement among users. Buzzfeed encourages their audience to share their results and this created free engagement for them.

• Use of GIFs:

Another extremely modern and digital-generation trait is the usage of GIFs. They’re looped videos that last 2 to 5 seconds and add more emotion to any conversation. Whenever Buzzfeed puts out an article, they supplement their points with GIFs.

These GIFs add a touch of entertainment to their articles and complement the light-hearted topics they write on.

• Mobile-first:

Buzzfeed understood that the current generation uses their phones as much, if not more than their desktop systems. Their content is curated and designed to be mobile-first.

By doing so, their audience can enjoy the entire Buzzfeed experience, without having to shift devices and still be able to share everything they do on the site.

Have you taken your first Buzzfeed quiz yet?