How to Reach Gen Z

By: Modesty Sanchez

In a literal sense, it isn’t overly difficult to find Gen Z and appeal to them. They are the most online generation since, well, ever, so actually reaching them is a piece of cake—just market to them on one of their beloved social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) and you’ve reached them. 

Now, actually leaving an impact on them or getting them to talk about your brand is a completely different story. The best, most obvious way to achieve this memorability is by creating a social media campaign that creatively displays either a beloved social media celebrity, a clear commitment to social justice values that Gen Zers care about (i.e. racial diversity, green energy), or a clear fluency in memes. Bonus points if you can check off all three!  

Of course, this is easier said than done—though it’s a breeze to achieve if you reach out to us here at Adolescent Content, where we can connect you with one of our talented Gen-Z creatives—and your brand’s marketing campaign won’t always be a success. That’s just the ugly truth, unfortunately. If you find yourself struggling to connect with and reach Gen Z via various social media apps, then I have an idea for you: focus on TikTok. Not only is TikTok crawling with members of Gen Z who spend hours on the app, but it’s also among the easiest social media platforms on which to go viral. 

Because an insane amount of people use it, even the most mundane videos get thousands of views. My own eighteen-year-old sister, who is the farthest thing from an influencer, posted a TikTok for the first time over the summer and garnered almost 10,000 views. All she did was lip sync to a popular song and post it with “#foryoupage.” Trust me when I say that if she can accumulate that many views from such a standard video, you and your brand will be able to garner many more views if you post something with your own creative spin; though videos with popular dances and memes do well on the platform, you’re going to want to make sure that your brand personalizes your video so that it’s memorable to viewers. 

The other beautiful thing about TikTok videos is that they don’t just live on the platform. Just like how viral tweets show up on Instagram meme pages, TikTok videos go viral on other social media platforms, especially Twitter and Instagram. I don’t even have TikTok (I’m on the older spectrum of Gen Z and know I can’t keep up with the kids on that app), but I’m well versed in TikTok trends simply because my Twitter feed is saturated with hilarious TikTok videos. Often, the TikTok videos I see go viral on other social media platforms haven’t even gone viral on TikTok. 

As you can see, TikTok is a valuable tool for your brand to reach Gen Z. Not only is the social media platform amongst the most popular for Gen Z, but it’s extremely easy for TikTok videos to go viral on both the app and other social media platforms. As always, if you’re having any difficulty creating a memorable social media campaign (on any platform), don’t hesitate to reach out to us and get connected to top Gen-Z creatives.