Reaching Gen Z in the Era of Candid Socials
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Reaching Gen Z in the Era of Candid Socials
Gen Z, Zoomers, or the iGeneration; Generation Z has become synonymous with the rise of digital and social media. Encompassing anyone born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z are about 10 to 25 years old in 2022. Entering the world at the turn of the century, Gen Z has grown up alongside the dawn of social media, and so has a highly unique, widely analysed and ever-changing approach to the world online. Let’s discuss.
Different social platforms appeal to different generations for different reasons, so what is currently appealing to Gen Z and why? While it sustains popularity amongst older generations, it’s safe to say that Facebook is well and truly out for Zoomers. In a 2015 survey posted by the Pew Research Centre, it was found that 71% of teens ages 13 to 17 used Facebook. Just seven years later in 2022 the number of 13 to 17-year-olds who said they use Facebook dropped to just 32%.
Instagram, while still utilised by 65% of Gen Z according to Business Insider, has struggled to keep people on the app with dwindling attention spans and a heavily scrutinised algorithm. As Pesala Bandara perfectly put it in PetaPixel, “the toxic hierarchies created by decades of public “like” counts as well as a culture of clickbait posts have left Generation Z disenchanted with social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.”
TikTok
In moving away from profile and timeline-based platforms, Gen Z has found themselves instead endlessly scrolling through Tiktok. According to Wallaroo Media, over 60% of TikTok users have comprised of Generation Z. Pioneering a candid era of social media, Generation Z has dominated TikTok and turned it into a place where raw authenticity is celebrated. In a piece penned by Bradian Muliadi in Forbes, he concurs “Just as millennials fueled the rise of earlier social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, Generation Z is fueling the rise of TikTok”.
BeReal
While TikTok is dominating in terms of usage, we have to give an honourable mention to BeReal. With an ethos of authenticity, BeReal is a rapidly growing social platform that asks its users to capture and share a photo every day at a different time, however, everyone is notified simultaneously. The app describes its purpose as “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” App intelligence firm Apptopia reported in August that BeReal has been downloaded more than 43 million times since its launch, and to date, has grown its user base an amazing 315%. While there is currently no advertising on the platform, it is one to watch for brands.
As you might have noticed, a common theme amongst Gen Z’s usage of social media is the popularity in both the consumption and production of raw, authentic and relatable content. Native social users, Gen Z have a heightened sense of when someone is trying to sell them something online. Polished, highly-edited advertising doesn’t exactly blend into the TikTok For You Page, so paid content can be quickly identified and swiped away from.
GIF by Sam Drew
So how can brands speak to a generation that is all about authenticity on social?
To engage Gen Z, brands need to invest in appearing native on the platforms where Gen Z spend their time. Gen Z want brands to participate as active creators on TikTok, to humanise themselves and to establish an online persona that reflects the brand’s ethos. When it comes to TikTok, you need to move away from highly-curated content and instead adopt the language and quirks of Gen Z. Gen Z loves a brand that is in the know and can jump on trends as they are happening. Having a trusted comms agency can help with that (😉). Creating reactive, in-the-moment content is powerful and can help you establish a personality for your brand.
Engaging in conversation with your brand’s audience is also key to gaining Gen Z’s trust on social. Create content that ignites two-way interaction between your brand and audience and actively engage in relevant conversations, topics and trends. Whether that be through the content itself, like memes or trending audios or through bantering with the community in the comment sections, it’s powerful to tap into the conversations happening about your brand online.
Utilising TikTok creators is another powerful way to get your brand in front of an audience. Creating impact with influencers on TikTok is all about finding the right creator whose content matches the product you are trying to sell. It’s important to choose a creator who you trust to tell your story, without providing a script in order for content to come across as organic in the TikTok feed. Again, having a trusted comms agency can help with this!
The way Gen Z communicates is totally unique to what we’ve seen in previous generations. From memes, to TikTok dances—keeping up with trends on social media is a never-ending task. In the last two years alone we’ve seen significant and rapid shifts in Gen Z’s behaviour online, so we can only imagine what the next two years have in store.
