Why Gen Z prefers TikTok for Search & How it Could Impact Your Brand
According to a recent study conducted by Google, the preferred search engines of Gen Z are Instagram and TikTok. In fact, as TechCrunch first reported, almost 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds, turn to social media for more visually based search and discovery.
As a result, Google is working on ways to improve its platform to make it more Gen Z friendly, such as incorporating augmented reality into its maps, working with Instagram and TikTok, and showcasing video as part of search.
If you’re a brand, you might be wondering, how does this new Gen Z search preference affect my business and my social media strategy? How can my brand better connect with my Gen Z target?
Understanding the Needs & Wants of Gen Z
As every brand knows, you can’t create an effective advertising strategy without first knowing your target audience. Who they are, where they are, what they need and why, how they want to be talked to, and how your brand can help them. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, it doesn’t matter where you post or when, your strategy will fall on deaf ears or eyes.
If your target audience happens to be Gen Z, then you know TikTok and Instagram are the places to be, especially TikTok. However, this doesn’t mean you jump on the bandwagon without a plan in place. Your content needs to be authentic, and engaging, and not pander to trends and the Gen Z lingo.
Remember Gen Z is paying attention. If they feel like your only goal is to sell to them, you’re not going to sell them anything. The same applies if they feel like you are only trying to go viral, capitalize on a trend or speak their lingo, without understanding why they use said lingo.
One of the main reasons Gen Z is turning to TikTok first is because it’s a space designed for the user. It has a more authentic feel because it’s constantly changing and evolving with every post.
“The appeal of TikTok is that it’s a non-curated space where users don’t know what to expect, where relevance, as opposed to reach, is king and where search options are more relatable, convenient and experiential,” says Chief Strategy Officer, Wanda Pogue, in her recent article for Adweek.
Additionally, the shorter of attention span of Gen Z, means they want their content delivered to them at a faster pace, without having to scroll and click in and out of information to find what they want or need.
This can make it challenging for brands trying to reach Gen Z, but it’s not an impossible feat.
Connecting With Your Target on Tiktok
Whether we like it or not, short form video is a powerful medium. With over a billion users, most of which are Gen Z, nowhere is this more apparent than TikTok. However, other generations are also starting to find their way onto to TikTok as well, which makes it a platform worth paying attention to, regardless of your target.
But let’s get back to the dominant audience, Gen Z. How can your brand connect with this target, without coming across as salesy or gimmicky?
1.Stay True to Who You Are – Create original content that showcases your brand’s authentic self. It’s fine to become a part of a viral Tiktok trend, but only if it is relevant to your brand.
Your strategy shouldn’t focus on simply going viral to go viral. This isn’t sustainable. For example, think about brands that had a legendary product go viral, one time. Have they gone viral again? Do you hear about these brands over and over? Not usually.
Instead, your goal should be to create consistent, engaging content that addresses the needs of your audience. What are they looking for? How do your products and services help your audience? Are you entertaining them? Are you being informative? Are you speaking their language?
2. Influencer Marketing – Of course, this is nothing new. YouTube and Instagram use influencers all the time to, mostly, great success. As a brand, you can absolutely incorporate influencer marketing into your Tiktok strategy.
You can partner with top influencers, micro-influencers, subject matter/brand category experts, or even the everyday consumer. Tiktok offers brands numerous opportunities to reach their audience, whether through sponsored posts, brand deals, PR, or brand ambassadors.
I’ve also seen many brands Stitch, Duet, or repost TikTok’s on their own feeds, which can help make your brand more relatable to your audience. Everyone loves to see themselves or people like them being featured on a brand’s feed. (Side note: If you do use Influencer Marketing, make sure you are following FTC guidelines for disclosing on Social Media.)
3. Going Beyond Ad Content – Your Tiktoks shouldn’t always be sales oriented. If you post on Instagram, you might be familiar with Content Pillars. These allow you to segment your content into buckets that are most relevant to your audience. They can range from Behind the Scenes, Tutorials, Hacks, How-Tos, DIYs, News related to your industry, Dispelling Myths (Education), Product Info/Launches, etc.
Of course, you still want to show off your products/services and do some sales-oriented content, but this should not be the driving force behind your feed. Experiment, try new things, and get out of your brand comfort zone, without straying too far from your brand mission and vision.
Don’t forget to engage with your Gen Z audience. Like their comments, reply to their comments, and ask them for feedback or input. Your social media is always a great place to conduct market research, whether through engagement, reviewing your analytics, searching trending or brand-relevant hashtags, or checking out what your competition is doing.
If you want some examples of brands doing it right on Tiktok, check out this compilation compiled by Hubspot.
Tiktok is here to stay, for now anyways, which is why it should be one of the tactics you use as part of your advertising strategy, especially if your target audience lies within Gen Z. By following the tips outlined above, you can reach them authentically and effectively with this short form video medium.
What are your thoughts on Gen Z’s preference for TikTok over Google?
