Targeting Gen Z on the Most Undervalued Engaged Platform, TikTok

Understanding how people shop across generations is vital when running any online campaign. As a matter of fact, knowing your consumer’s behaviour, attitudes, personal values, what is important to them, their shopping patterns, and more helps form the basis for any successful marketing or sales campaign. The differing consumer motivations and generational consumption patterns offer valuable insight into the best ways of targeting Gen Z and cultivating user-generated marketing content for other generations.

Who are Gen-Zs? And how old are Gen-Zs?

Different research institutes and psychologists have divergent views regarding what age demographic cohort constitutes Gen-Z. For instance, the Oxford University dictionary defines Gen-Z as people born in the late 1990s and early 2010s. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, on the other hand, defines Ge-z as people born between the late 1990s and 2000s. While there are differing views of what should constitute Gen-Z, it is generally accepted in research and media that Gen – Z are people born in the middle to the late 1990s and ended in the early 2010s.

Rank	Generation	Range
1	Greatest	< 1927
2	Silent	1928-1945
3	Boomers	1946-1945
4	Gen X	1965-1980
5	Millennial	1981-1996
6	Gen Z	1997-2012
7	Post Z	2012-

Gen-Xs were born after baby boomers and preceded by Millennials. The older millennials are now well into their early to mid-30s. People in this age bracket came of age in the digital era pampered with numerous technologies that have significantly shaped their worldview.

Gen X was typically born in the late 60s to the early 80s. Gen-Zs tend to be children of the Gen X generation, who were born in the mid-60s to early 80s. They come of age amid the birth of personal computing and technology; thus, they are particularly tech-savvy. The last of the four surviving generations are baby boomers, who comprise people born in the mid-40s and mid-60s. The people came of age in the aftermath of World War II, and most notable, they experienced an era of massive social and political change like the civil rights movement and the cold war.

Gen-Z Statistics

Gen- Z has emerged as a generation worth attention. Indeed, this is true. Why? Some of its older members are on the crossover to adulthood and wield a strong purchasing power which is lucrative and attractive to marketers and sales teams. Do you have a particular interest in reaching consumers in this generation? Here is a quick overview – a high-level recap of Gen- Z attributes and what we know about this group so far.

• Gen-Z has over 360 billion disposable income Source: Bloomberg (2021). Who wouldn’t want to invest in this promising and ever-expanding market? With such a lucrative market, every retailer is trying hard to pull strings to win Gen-Zers’ hearts.
• Gen – Z makes up to 20% of the world’s workforce. In the United States of America, Gen-Z makes up 31% of the total US income. This Gen- Z represents a strong force with strong spending power in the economy. Moreover, Bloomberg projects that Gen-Z spending power will exceed $2 trillion in 2030, making them a suitable target for sales and marketing teams the world over.
• Gen-Zs spend up to $6,137 annually on travel, retail, and financial services. They are most passionate about buying services that align with their values.
• 45% of Gen Z have boycotted a business or brand that violates their social or political beliefs. Further, 35% enjoy purchasing products/ services that reflect their social or political views (Source Hubspot(2022).
• Gen-Zs are more diverse, pragmatic, and shrewd consumers. Namely, given their tech-savviness, they are able to explore extensive options online before they can make any decision, be it financial or a purchase decision.
• Generation – Zers are widely Digital natives. Consequently, this significantly influences their social behaviour and their spending habits.
• The average Gen Z received their first smartphone at age 10.3, and most of them spend an average of 4-5 hours a day online.

Targeting Gen-Z on TikTok’s Undervalued Social Platform

TikTok has more than 1.5 billion active TikTok users. The platform is attractive because more than half of its users fall in the millennial and Gen-Z demographic cohorts, which share characteristics. So, what makes targeting Gen Z a go-with option in your campaigns?

First, Gen-Zers display great pragmatism and value individual identities.

They are more open to changes and are more willing to connect with new people with whom they share common interests. TikTok tacitly exploits these characteristics in creating a platform that gives Gen Zers a sense of community and, at the same time, gives them a unique opportunity to express themselves in authentic ways.

Secondly, TikTok is a video-first platform.

The focus of TikTok is short-form videos that emphasise individual authenticity, which sets the platform apart. While Instagram introduced the ‘Reels’ and Facebook integrated ‘watch feed,’ they are no match to what TikTok offers.

Thirdly, TikTok sets the trend.

The virality of TikTok challenges is indisputable, “Challenges can be a way to help make a message go viral, like the ice bucket challenge.” Elyse Graham, associate professor at Stony Brook University, explains that they are simple ways to spread the message with little effort across the board.

TikTok is authentic

Unlike Instagram, where influencers and users imitate a lifestyle of affluence, TikTok is original, and users can easily identify with it. In fact, in a global authenticity study carried out by TikTok, 64% of TikTok users reported that they could be themselves on TikTok. Furthermore, 54% said they could post a video of themselves that they won’t post on any other social platform other than TikTok.

Targeting Gen Z on TikTok – Why brands should care

The best way to get to an audience is by meeting them where they spend their time most. Essentially, TikTok is a thriving community of young people. Therefore with TikTok interactive spaces, the platform allows brands to target Gen Z in places where they spend most of their time -TikTok. If you have fun, top-notch, and generational relatable content, TikTok can be an ideal platform for targeting Gen-Zers.

Targeting Gen Z is cheaper on TikTok

Besides providing marketers with an ideal audience, TikTok has an engagement rate higher than the combination of YouTube and Instagram. Accordingly, it is relatively cheaper, especially when considering the returns against the cost per acquisition. With TikTok, for instance, you need professional video shooting. You only need your smartphone, and you are good to go! We are pretty sure this is something your business should be levering for high returns.

Other social platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer brands diverse and varied ranges of content creation and marketing options, but they are nothing close to TikTok when it comes to affordability. Basically, with TikTok marketing, you only need to share value that resonates, then prove that you are reliable and trustworthy to close the deals. “It is always advisable to go with a video approach in the content you’re creating. Gen Z rejects traditional advertising with its mobile-first mindset.

Are you stuck somewhere? Showcase what makes your brand stand out with our TikTok marketing services. Our experienced TikTok team offers groundbreaking TikTok marketing solutions that connect brands to the right audience. Talk to a TikTok marketing expert today. Our marketing experts can help you diversify your TikTok channel and help generate more leads and conversions.

TikTok offers it all. As long as you can play the game, you will always stand a better chance targeting Gen Zs.

TikTok Gen–Z Statistics

10 More Reasons to Target Gen Z on TikTok

1. TikTok is more prevalent among Gen Z than any other age group. The app has more than 1.5 billion active users worldwide; a further 60% of TikTok users are Gen Z. Source: Forbes (2021)
2. TikTok usage surpasses Facebook and Instagram. While TikTok trails behind Facebook and Instagram on the total number of users, statistics show that Gen Z’s weekly usage of Gen Z TikTok weekly use stands at 63% against Instagram, which stands at 57% and is followed closely by Snapchat at 53%.Source: Forester Data (2021).
3. Gen Z is more likely to be on TikTok than millennials. A recent study by The Social Media Report (2021) reported that people aged 13- 20 years use TikTok daily. From there, usage declines with age. Therefore, the lowest recorded usage stats are among 35–39-year-olds.
4. TikTok has an incredible engagement and loyalty rate among Gen Zs. Data from Marketing Hub shows that TikTok engagement ranges from 3% to 9%.
5. As the first true digital natives, Gen Z spends an incredibly good among of time online. For instance, 20% of Gen Z spend an average of 5 hours on TikTok a day.
6. Gen Z actively participates in content creation and advocating on TikTok. Accordingly, 83% say they have created a video on the platform, and 70% say they will recommend it to others. Source WallaRoo (2022)
7. 59% of TikTok users report TikTok is a friendly platform. Moreover, they said that after joining TikTok, they feel they become part of something.
8. Gen Z feels TikTok is more personalised. A report by alistdaily shows that 41% of Gen Zs are willing to provide their data for a customised experience.
9. More than 30.3% of Gen Zs on TikTok are heavy users opening the app more than a third of the month, Source Statista (2021).
10. Females are more likely to use TikTok than males. Data that 70% of Gen Z females use TikTok compared to 49% of males worldwide. Source Pulse (2021)

TikTok Golden Era (Benefits of TikTok for Converting Gen Z)

TikTok has grown and established itself as a media powerhouse. It boasts a global audience and a supposed authenticity that marketers and salespersons can’t miss. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, and you can’t miss it. Get started as soon as you can to avoid missing the gold rush. But why?

TikTok is now in its golden era for brands as its new

For years Instagram and Facebook ruled the roost; however, with the entry of TikTok, tables have turned. TikTok is the new trend setter. It brings to the table new synergies, new ways of doing things, and subsequently new ways of reaching your preferred audience.

TikTok is Not Saturated, Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

TikTok is relatively new. The short video-based platform has rapidly gained traction in recent years. Of course, considering that more and more Gen -Z no longer use Facebook and the ever-declining Instagram reach potential, TikTok becomes a potential prospect for global marketers, especially those targeting Gen Z TikTokers.

Targeting Gen Z on TikTok is more effective

Targeting your preferred audience on TikTok is relatively more accessible and effective. The platform outlines easy ways to use TikTok for marketing very simply. They include using influencer marketing, TikTok hashtag challenges, and promoting user-generated content via paid media. But are these marketing methods not available on other social platforms? What mainly makes TikTok unique? TikTok is more effective and guarantees results at pocket-friendly rates.

TikTok is used for news, discovering brands as well as entertainment

An extensive look at TikTok marketing unveils three different ways users use TikTok. One is for discovering news and daily trends; two, they use it for entertainment like in discovering short funny videos, and lastly, they also use TikTok in discovering brands. In fact, in a survey carried out by AskAttest, 75% of respondents agreed to have discovered brands via TikTok. Another 54% agreed to have made purchases after finding a product or a service on the platform. The statistics point out that TikTok’s power to drive sales keeps expanding, implying the platform holds a great marketing potential for any brand targeting the younger generation more, especially those targeting Gen Z.

Targeting Gen Z Summary

If part of your marketing strategy includes targeting Gen Z, the great chances are that you badly need to incorporate TikTok as part of your marketing tool. So far in this article, we outline why targeting Gen Z via TikTok matters. Previously, not many brands, marketers, or sales teams took TikTok with the seriousness it deserves. Consequently, the result was an undervalued but potentially viable platform.

Notwithstanding, the trends are changing, and brands are taking notice. TikTok is in its prime days, and there are numerous ways brands benefit from TikTok’s robust marketing options. Equally, we have pointed out various TikTok and Gen Z statistics to get you to start advertising and marketing on TikTok.

TikTok is undeniably an innovative option for brands to push their marketing campaign to the masses.