Currently, the youngest generations of consumers are those that were born after 1996, and they are incredibly tuned in to technology, unlike other generations before them. They use technology, and more specifically, social media platforms for inspiration, entertainment, and even to make their voices heard. These are young people that are fans of platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, which is why these platforms are all trying to fight for their attention.
Companies that are looking to grab the attention of this generation of consumers on social media should first, and foremost, understand which platforms the consumers prefer and why, as well as what’s the driving factor behind their purchasing decisions.
Snapchat
As a platform, Snapchat is all about users living in the moment, which is why the main way that they can share content is through stories that disappear after 24 hours. Companies that want to reach younger generations of consumers on this platform should provide them with a personalized experience. Most of these young buyers are quite used to deep personalization strategies, and in fact, tend to expect them from the platforms and brands they frequently interact and engage with. That also means the consumers expect to be engaged frequently by the brand, which makes all communications efforts a lot more effective.
TikTok
When it comes to TikTok, it’s the most direct way that brands and corporations can reach Gen Z users, and the platform itself has quickly turned into the primary tool for many businesses trying to reach these buyers. Young generations of consumers use TikTok for entertainment, education on various topics, and more. Brands that want to reach these consumers on TikTok should try selling particular lifestyles, that also celebrate diversity and avoid labels. Younger consumers don’t really respond too well to hard-selling, which means various sales strategies and gimmicks don’t work on them. Instead, showcasing how a product or a service can improve their lifestyle or experience is something that really sells.
Most of the time, younger consumers use this platform to follow and interact with celebrities, as well as brands they enjoy and want to support. To reach Gen Z consumers on Instagram, companies should be working with influencers on their promotional campaigns, as young people tend to trust social media influencers a lot more compared to traditional celebrities. Additionally, developing a well-curated account that’s cohesive is another thing that they want to see on Instagram.
YouTube
Finally, although YouTube is a platform that draws engagement from all ages and demographics, it’s still a place that has a lot of potential for getting brands in front of the eyes of their younger consumers. Similar to most strategies, personalization is key when creating PR campaigns for YouTube, as well as creating both longer and shorter types of videos. Depending on the depth of the topic, some of these consumers only want to learn about the surface-level details about subjects, while others enjoy diving deep and listening to someone go quite into detail about things that interest them.