Social Media Platforms Every Marketer Should Be Using To Reach Gen Z

In today’s society, targeting Gen Z is essential when marketing modern, everyday products that aren’t specifically tailored to an older crowd. 

Research by Morning Consult found that 38% of the Gen Z population spend over four hours per day on social media. In contrast, only 18% of U.S. adults spend over four hours on social media. This resembles the generational differences when it comes to the population’s usage of social media. It’s evident that Gen Z audiences tend to have less priorities and more available leisure time, emphasising the importance of Gen Z marketing.

Gen Z audiences connect with each other through social media, so it would be in a brand’s best interest to recognize this and capitalise on it. Gen Z audiences also naturally want to make a good impression on their audience, caring more about what others think in contrast to elders. Thus, Gen Z marketing is important as it presents businesses with a wider opportunity to generate sales and leads with a more observational and active audience on social media.

This article will outline the growing prevalence of Gen Z on social media and the importance to incorporate Gen Z advertising in order to maximise a company’s reach, leads and sales, as well as how to incorporate the correct marketing strategies for Gen Z.

WHICH PLATFORMS ARE GEN Z PRESENT ON?

Notably, it appears that Gen Z prefers social media platforms that transmit information quickly, as they typically harness a low retention rate – which is reportedly as low as 8 seconds according to Campaign Monitor. TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram feed into this narrative. 

As a result, Gen Z marketing should ideally be straightforward and uncomplex.

In the realm of Gen Z marketing, Gen Z audiences have varying preferences for social media platforms, as each serves a different need. For example, Gen Z prefers to use Twitter to get the news, but prefers TikTok when it comes to sharing their daily lives. 

Likewise, Gen Z would gravitate towards Instagram when sharing attractive photos of themselves or scenery they’ve come across, but prefer Pinterest for finding outfit or aesthetic inspiration.

TikTok in general is the primary preferable platform for Gen Z audiences. 60% of TikTok users are also Gen Zers. Thus, marketers need to focus on TikTok when it comes to Gen Z marketing for general everyday products targeted at Gen Z. 

Although, Instagram and Pinterest would be an exception when it comes to marketing clothing brands, as fashion content performs well on there and is quicker to access on a person’s feed.

GEN Z MARKETING ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

TikTok

Marketing to Gen Z on TikTok is highly effective, especially when leveraging hashtags and collaborating with popular TikTok influencers. 

The platform itself can spark and popularise Gen Z marketing trends, exemplified by the popular “GRWM” content style frequently used across both TikTok and Instagram. 

@glowhubbeauty

That time @Tatty. joined team glow on set & got to be one of the first to try the nxt_gen…?? #glowhubbeauty (Video description: Tatty is trying out all the different makeup products)

♬ original sound – glow hub beauty

TikTok’s accessibility to Gen Z is unparalleled, given that it can be easily downloaded on smartphones; a device owned by the majority of the general public above the age of 13. Additionally, it entails a straightforward and swift sign-up process, which only demands an email or phone number, making it an accessible and attractive option for their demographic.

Pinterest

Marketing to Gen Z on Pinterest is particularly effective for selling fashion or beauty products because they seamlessly blend into a user’s feed, often going unnoticed as ads. 

Pinterest offers a unique feature allowing direct links to storefronts, making it an ideal platform for enhancing user inspiration when it comes to lifestyle products.

X

When it comes to Gen Z marketing, X provides an immediate and direct means of allowing a brand to connect with their audience. This makes it a fantastic tool for fostering community and establishing relationships with Gen Z. 

The platform’s character limit encourages concise and direct communication, a style highly preferred by a generation that regularly consumes short-form content, such as TikToks and Instagram stories. 

Instagram

Gen Z marketing is great on Instagram, specifically for females who are keen on product aesthetics. Instagram as a visual storytelling application is an ideal platform for catering to that preference. 

Additionally, features like the in-app shopping option, which enables users to utilise seamless checkout processes and personalised product pages, allows individuals to appreciate an outfit on the app and make an instant purchase. 

To succeed on this platform, it’s essential to maintain thoughtfully curated pages and posts. Instagram is also frequented by millennials, so marketing to millennials and Gen Z through fashion-related content is more vast and rewarding.

FAQs

Why is Gen Z important to marketers?

Gen Z utilises social media more than any other age demographic and thus there is more sales and reach potential when targeting them.

How do I target my Gen Z audience?

Market products with videos and stimulating images, and try to create a cult following by establishing a humanised and personalised connection with Gen Z audiences and consistently track your relationships with them.

What social media do Gen Z use the most?

TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

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