The U.S. Navy is making a big shift in its recruitment strategy in the internet age.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Sunday that the Navy is focusing less on reaching young people through television advertisements and more on connecting with them online. In particular, the Navy is promoting the authentic stories of sailors in the fleet.
Navy Seabee Michael Ivey recently took over the Navy's official recruiting account on the website Reddit. The equipment operator in Virginia Beach answered questions in real time about life in the Navy, including things he dislikes about the service.
In the past year, the Navy has gone from spending about 70 percent of its media budget on broadcast to about 45 percent. It plans to spend 70 percent of its media budget on digital in 2019.