Gen Z: The challenge – and opportunities – in social media marketing

Even without the disruptions brought on by the pandemic last year, Gen Z are of particular interest to brands for their increasing spending power and propensity to be connected to online platforms throughout the day. Defining a winning post-pandemic marketing strategy for Gen Z is the ultimate challenge and opportunity for brands looking to engage these young Americans.

In a new analysis from YouGov, we look at key advertising trends derived from our Gen Z research over the past few months. The topics include young Americans’ perceptions toward various types of ads and general attitudes toward advertising.

such as those found on social media and websites. Roughly three in five Gen Z adults say they find social media ads (61%) and online ads (59%) untrustworthy. That’s nearly twice the number of those who do deem these types of ads as trustworthy.

While Gen Z certainly has its trust issues with social media ads,

. This generation’s likelihood to stay connected throughout the day presents a tremendous opportunity to brands that can win this generation’s trust.

Audience data from YouGov reveals Gen Z stands out for their receptivity toward advertising in general, especially when compared to Americans overall. Below are some key insights into the Gen Z mindset on advertising over the past year:

• Social media may draw more engagement than website ads. A slim majority of Gen Z say they are more likely to engage with advertisements on social media than on regular websites (53%). What’s more, 60% of Gen Z adults say they spent more time on social media over the last year, and 42% of Gen Z adults say they paid attention or interacted with social media ads more than they typically do since the pandemic began (vs. 30% of US adults).
  
• They are receptive to brands taking a stance on social issues, such as the vaccine effort. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z adults say companies should be able to express how they feel on a topic (64% vs. 58% US adults), and 57% say they like when brands get involved in social issues (vs. 49% of US adults). This idea also extends to brands getting involved in the national vaccine effort, with 57% of Gen Z adults in support of brands offering giveaways to incentivize people to get the COVID-19 vaccine (vs. 50% of US adults).
  
• Influencer engagement can help bridge Gen Z’s trust issues with social media advertising. When it comes influencer marketing, one in nine Gen Z adults (11%) indicate they like when brands engage with them through influencer blogs or vlogs (vs. 6% of US adults). In addition, more than a quarter of Gen Z say they trust recommendations from influencers, (27% vs. 19% of US adults).
  

Despite the negative outlook toward website and social media ads, these two channels remain key to getting in front of Gen Z. Marketing to younger consumers will be tricky; they tend to be more online-savvy and that comes with its challenges, but we can meet the moment using always-on data to track brand perceptions and keep a pulse on hot-button issues and trends.

Now, more than ever, brands should participate in back-and-forth dialogue with young consumers to understand what they want. It’s the way forward to build up brand voice and foster trust among Gen Z.