Influencers have become a central part of social media; a driver of consumer purchasing decisions. According to The Morning Consult, nearly three-quarters of Gen Z and millennials follow influencers on social media, and a majority say social media is where they most often learn about new products they’re interested in.
The more common topic of conversation has been how millennial influencers compare to Gen Z influencers when it comes to branded campaigns. While millennials grew up with the internet, Gen Z have become digital natives that were born into a strong and constant connection to social media. Influencer marketing was formed with millennials in mind, where they continue to predominantly connect with their followers through written, relatable content in blogs or long-form videos on YouTube. The majority of Gen Z influencers prefer to connect with their followers through short-form video content and photography.
But when it comes to brands developing their influencer marketing strategies, where should they be spending their money? With traditional, tried and tested millennial influencers or up-and-coming experimental zoomers? The first step is knowing how to engage your target demographic.
Let’s start by taking a closer look at Millennials vs. Zoomers.
Millennials vs. Zoomers
Jacks-Of-All-Trades
Today, millennial and Gen Z influencers have to be jacks-of-all-trades, with an understanding that having a presence across a variety of social platforms is what will lead to their success. Having a platform involves including your audience in all elements of your life. This leads to creators sharing their lifestyle, fitness, wellness, relationships, and more through the organic content they create while also participating in paid partnerships with their favourite brands.
Their Strong Influence On Consumers
According to a 2021 report, 49% of consumers said they depended on influencer recommendations when making a purchase, with 82% of people trusting social media platforms to help guide their purchasing decisions. The value that millennial and Gen Z influencers have added to the marketing space has significantly altered how brands develop their marketing strategies with the ultimate goal of generating brand awareness and increasing sales. This not only proves that millennial and Gen Z influencers are valuable to marketers but how “influential” they actually are for consumers.
The Evolution of Influencer Marketing
The evolution of influencer marketing over the last few years has been deeply dependent on the people creating the content. With the millennial generation, we saw the first online personalities earn money from producing sketch comedy videos, writing long format blog posts, and publishing podcasts. Gen Z brought about the rise of creativity and authenticity online, with a desire to break away from polished and instead focusing on being unapologetically themselves.
Start Working with the Right Influencers
Something that we have understood since the very beginning is that brands need to work with influencers who are a right fit. Asking just anyone with a large following on social media isn’t going to achieve the campaign goals you’ve set. Influencers with similar ideals, interests, and who are within the age group you’re trying to reach will always get results.
Interested in working with some of the most popular influencers today? The Influence Agency is here to connect you with in-demand social media personalities who can put your brand in the spotlight through incredible campaigns. Click here to get started!