Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z (Gen Z) is the first generation to have grown up with the internet, social media, and smartphones as part of their everyday lives.
More than just very demure and very mindful, they’re a complex demographic myriad businesses and industries are vying to target – with their own unique set of ideals, values, and interests that vary drastically from older generations.
For social media marketers, effectively reaching Gen Z requires more than injecting buzzwords and phrases into your messaging.
It requires a strategic approach that starts with obtaining a comprehensive understanding of this specific audience.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z came into the world with the internet already having made a significant impact for both business and consumers alike.
Smartphones were well on their way to becoming a household necessity, with the first iPhone being introduced on June 29, 2007. Myspace was also about to become a phenomenon that would inspire and forever shape the social media technology movement.
Given the breadth of experience Gen Z has with smart devices, technology, and social media, it’s imperative for marketers to tailor their social media strategies to successfully capture and convert potential Gen Z customers.
As marketers, now is the time to uncover what motivates Gen Z and how to capture the largest market segment to improve return on investment, maximize your marketing efforts, and drive more qualified business.
Let’s unpack exactly who this generation is and proven strategies for increasing Gen Z engagement across numerous social media platforms.
Demystifying Gen Z: Who Are They Exactly?
Gen Z comprises a little over one-fifth (20.69%) of the U.S. population.
Gen Z is unique among current generations – not just for the social structure they have come up in, but also for their spending habits, which differ from other generations.
According to Statista, Gen Z isn’t as motivated to purchase a product after seeing an ad on TV, with only about a third of this demographic saying a TV ad has prompted them to make a purchase.
Social media’s influence, however, was proven to be much more profound.
Gen Z And Social Media
Two-thirds of Gen Zers say they’ve been influenced to make a purchase after seeing a social media advertisement.
Additionally, 33% of the Gen Z population is interested in buying from a brand founded by an influencer, a stark contrast from the minuscule 4% of Baby Boomers who expressed interest in doing the same.
Social media is woven into the fabric of their lives.
A 2024 report by Morning Consult found that 54% of Gen Zers favor YouTube over any other social media platform, with 80% spending their time on it. Instagram is another platform after YouTube, with 75% of Gen Zers gravitating towards spending time there. TikTok (69%) and Snapchat (63%) are also popular platforms for Gen Zers.
Furthermore, the same report indicates 35% of Gen Zers spend over 4 hours a day using social media, and only 4% spend less than 1 hour a day.
Knowing that Gen Z spends ample time on social media regularly highlights the need for marketers to focus their attention and efforts on this dominating channel.
This holds especially true for the social channels Gen Z frequents most, which are YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Gen Z’s Dual World: Online Convenience Meets In-Person Experience
When it comes to online versus in-person shopping, it’s more of a toss-up.
Gen Z is accustomed to the convenience of online shopping, but they value real-life experiences, as well as the ease of same-day pickup.
A Deloitte study in 2023 also found a 50/50 split between Gen Zers and Millennials who see online interactions as meaningful replacements to in-person experiences, and those who prefer the real thing.
All of this suggests that an omnichannel approach to the customer experience is best for Gen Z, but still poses an interesting conundrum for marketers.
We know where Gen Zers are spending their time and how to reach them, but what does it take to connect with them authentically? And what drives them to log off and shop in person?
Here are six social media best practices to consider when targeting a Gen Z audience.
1. Embrace Partnership With Creators
The concept of the traditional “influencer” – who does sponsorship deals, goes on brand trips, and sells an aspirational lifestyle attainable to their followers through the purchasing of products – dominated the 2010s.
But for Gen Z, that heyday is proving to be behind us. As they become savvier about when and how they’re being sold to, the creator economy is king.
In this new paradigm, authenticity and originality are lauded over aspiration.
TikTok creator Alix Earle jumps to mind as a prime example. Earle has seen rapid fame in just a few short months, surpassing 5 million followers today.
She has all the marks of a traditional influencer – the travel, high-end products, and aspirational lifestyle – but her unpolished and relatable tone is arguably what garnered her a massive audience, and what keeps them around as her lifestyle appears to become less attainable.
When she recommends a product to an audience, it feels organic, like a recommendation from a friend.
As a brand, encouraging, engaging with, and platforming this type of user-generated content (UGC) – where your product might not be the star of a scripted video, but a detail in a larger story – can be very effective with Gen Z.
2. Give The Brand A Persona Online
In addition to outsourcing content to creators with their own audiences, we’re also seeing the emergence of brands becoming influencers in their own right.
Some do this by bringing on a well-known creator to represent their brand’s social presence. For example, Kyle Prue, a TikTok creator with over 1.4 million followers, has become jointly known for the personal finance brand, Fizz.
Stylistically, the content for Fizz is virtually indistinguishable from his personal content – except for the fact that it’s about personal finance.
Others employ a character or a staff member to become the face of the brand online.
The popular language learning app, Duolingo, has amassed over 6.5 million TikTok followers making videos featuring its mascot, the Duolingo owl (and most of these videos have nothing to do with learning a language).
Another example with a different twist is the bag brand, Baboon to the Moon, which leverages a few of its Gen Z team members to make content that often features products prominently but feels snarky and off the cuff – a tone that tends to resonate well with the Gen Z audience.
3. Focus On Engagement Over Follower Count
Gen Z is far less brand loyal than its predecessors.
They’re frequently served content from social media main pages like TikTok’s For You page, Instagram’s Discover tab, and YouTube’s Recommended page.
An eye toward individual post engagement and visibility can be a better indicator of success than follower count by profile.
From a local experience (LX) perspective, this also means that there can be value in creating profiles for local stores to build a more personal connection with those locations.
Showing the location, offers, or events specific to that store and the people who work there could encourage more engagement.
For example, the TikTok profile for a Barnes and Noble location in Canton, Connecticut, has 15,600 followers and nearly 686,000 likes on its posts.
Democratizing content creation in this way can be a great way to generate more overall engagement, especially at the community level, and foster a sense of ownership with your staff.
4. Use Video To Your Advantage
Video marketing is a primary purchase driver for the Gen Z demographic. Not only does this audience like to watch videos, but they can also compel them to take action and purchase a product or service.
The previously cited report from Morning Consult found that over half (53%) of GenZers have purchased an item shown in a review video, and 40% have done the same from haul videos.
“Get Ready With Me (GRWM)” videos also inspire purchasing, with 37% of respondents saying this has led to a purchase as well.
The video purchasing trend aligns closely with the fact that Gen Z prefers to engage with platforms that allow for easy video creation, such as TikTok and Instagram.
When creating videos, it’s important for your business and any influencers you partner with to remain authentic and genuine.
Gen Zers are quick to abandon ship and take their money elsewhere if they feel a brand is being deceitful or if an influencer’s testimonial appears forced.
This is why it’s crucial to partner with influencers within your niche and who already have an understanding of your industry.
It’s beneficial to also examine the influencer’s reach and average post engagement to ensure your dollars are being well spent.
Scripts should also be avoided as this can appear inauthentic. Give influencers or your employees talking points to cover during their video, but stray away from regurgitating a word-for-word speech.
Your videos should be conversational, fun, and valuable for the intended audience.
5. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Let’s say that you successfully build the authentic connection and positive association necessary to attract a Gen Z buyer.
At the local level, their experience begins when they open a new tab on their computer or switch apps on their photo to search for your brand – and there’s a strong chance that they are turning to Google to do that.
In a 2022 study of local consumer search behavior (Disclosure: I work for Rio SEO), we found that:
- 47% of Gen Zers said they very frequently use Google Search and Google Maps to find information about businesses in their area.
- 65% of the most frequently searched information on local business listings is the business address/directions – followed by reviews (56%), hours of operation (54%), and website (54%).
- 68% of Gen Zers conduct online searches a few times per day.
- 65% of Gen Zers want to travel 10 miles or less for a business’s products or services.
To progress your Gen Z leads from social media marketing into conversion, managing your LX and optimizing with your Google Business Profile (GBP) is key.
Your GBP should be optimized for mobile and up-to-date, with correct store hours and addresses with GPS directions, as well as quick visibility into in-store inventory, payment options, and other store highlights.
6. Create Short-Form Content
Capturing the attention of a Gen Z audience can be daunting as they prefer quick and short snippets of information. Gen Z isn’t interested in consuming cumbersome videos.
They crave content that’s easy to digest and gets to the point right away.
Businesses should focus on incorporating short-form content into their social media strategy, such as 10-, 30-, and 60-second videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Each of these formats is designed to entice the viewer in a short timeframe, ensuring they don’t tune out before your message is delivered.
Incorporating current trends can also help capture Gen Z’s attention.
A video from TikTok creator Jools Lebron gained lightning-speed traction when she modeled her “demure” workplace-friendly makeup. She quipped the look was “Very demure. Very mindful.”
The video’s popularity has since skyrocketed, prompting businesses and consumers alike to adopt and insert the phrase into their everyday jargon.
Businesses have since capitalized on the trend, adding the phrase into their own posts and videos to stay current with the Gen Z audience.
Popular, renowned brands such as Netflix, Zillow, and Lyft hired Lebron for marketing campaigns, where she uses her now iconic phrase “very demure, very mindful” in ads for the respective businesses.
While the demure trend may not last much longer before the next viral video steals the spotlight, it’s crucial for businesses to pay close attention to what’s trending to captivate Gen Z’s attention across their most visited social media platforms.
In Conclusion
The key takeaway is this: Gen Z social media marketing requires striking a balance between adaptability of medium and consistency of voice to bring in an engaged audience.
Optimizing online, social media, and local experience will equip brands to convert that audience into customers.
The brands that make both sides a priority will be the best poised to break through to this notoriously elusive generation.
More resources:
- Google Is Still Gen Z’s Top Search Engine, Study Shows
- The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms
- 11 Social Media Content Types And Examples
- Social Media Branding: How To Get It Right
Featured Image: DavideAngelini/Shutterstock
