Remember the saying ‘men are from Mars and women are from Venus’?
Well, if we’re talking ‘Gens’, Boomers and Zoomers are universes apart.
Boomers might have grown up in the television age, but Gen Z were practically born with a smartphone in their hand.
So how do we best reach the world’s first digital natives in their natural habitat?
We put it to thousands of young people for our What Gen Z Actually Do Online report. Here’s what we found.
Speak their (digital) language
If the results of our survey are anything to go by, we could be seeing the end of ‘traditional’ media as we know it.
We found just 28% of Gen Zs occasionally watch television, while one in four never turn on the telly or listen to the radio.
Another staggering 43% never read newspapers or magazines.
On the flip side, 91% of Gen Z use social media – every day.
But take note: not all social media is equal
This might break a Millennial’s heart, but Facebook has well and truly been dethroned as the king of social media.
Gen Zs overwhelmingly prefer Instagram, with 32% of those we surveyed listing the social network as their fave, followed by Snapchat (20%), TikTok (18%), and YouTube (18%).
That being said, it’s time to invest in social media advertising
…which Gen Zs prefer over traditional marketing methods.
Fifty-four per cent of young people we surveyed said they’ve bought something from a social media ad.
But make sure you listen to where Gen Z want to receive ads. And how.
Forty-five per cent of Gen Zs told us they want to receive ads on Instagram, followed (somewhat surprisingly) by Facebook (25%), YouTube (23%), websites (18%) and Snapchat (13%).
And three out of four Gen Zs said they prefer branded content over traditional advertising for brand promotion.
“Social media platforms are hyper-saturated with ads so what really stands out to me is when a brand’s advertising poses a question or provides something short and interactive,” an 18-year-old female from NSW said.
“A good example is the Instagram account @werenotreallystrangers — what I find to be most striking is the way it provokes personal reflection, questioning and some sort of emotional engagement with its content.”
Finally, it’s time to close the curtain on paid actors
Influencers are twice as effective as celebrities at marketing to Gen Zs that we surveyed, with 32% telling us they’ve bought something because of an influencer.
Just 16% told us they’ve bought something because of a celebrity.
“I notice a lot of influencers on TikTok that teach content or give advice with the sole intention to provide better information to their followers,” an 18-year-old male from NSW said.
“This makes them more reliable and trustworthy. I am able to believe in what they say when we are at their best interests.”
