293. YPulse. Capturing Gen Z & Millennial Attention.
MaryLeigh Bliss
November 30, 2023
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Brands need to understand and adapt to the preferences of Gen Z and Millennials in the evolving social media landscape. YPulse’s Chief Content Officer, MaryLeigh Bliss, explores young consumers' behaviors on social media and the opportunities for brands.
Key Topics:
TikTok's Growth: From its beginnings as Musical.ly, TikTok's growth has been extraordinary, with user rates among young people jumping from 5% in 2019 to 53% in 2022.
Generational Preferences: TikTok is the preferred platform for Gen Z, with nearly 75% using it, but it's the third choice for Millennials.
Twitter's Limited Effect: Twitter is less influential, with only 25% of Gen Z and 30% using the platform. Not an optimal choice for marketers targeting young consumers.
Generational Definitions: There's confusion regarding the definitions of generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha. An understanding of age ranges and life stages is key for accurate insights.
Social Media as a Search Engine: Youth increasingly use platforms like TikTok and Instagram as search engines. Brands need to optimize their content for this shift.
Active Engagement: Young consumers are active on an average of six social platforms.
Advice: Establish an organic presence on TikTok, tap into YouTube's dynamics, and engage with comments.
Understanding these dynamics offers brands the opportunity to connect authentically with their target audience on their preferred platforms.
YPulse is the leading authority on Millennials and Gen Z: tweens, teens, college students and young adults. They provide strategic insight to companies and organizations via their subscription-based syndicated research content as well as their custom research and consulting services. Staffed with a cross-functional team of researchers, marketers, writers, and technologists, they give their clients a 360-degree view of what it’s like to be a Millennial or Gen Z today.
As Chief Content Officer, MaryLeigh Bliss oversees YPulse’s syndicated products. Her role also involves acting as a culture and youth insights expert, consulting with brands to identify actionable insights, align young consumer strategy, and layer generational and youth knowledge over data findings.
MaryLeigh has worked with a range of brands, including Facebook, Hampton, Bravo, HBO, Target, Best Buy, and Gap, and has been quoted as a youth insights authority by publications including The New York Times, Digiday, Business Insider, and Adweek. She has appeared as a Gen Z and Millennial expert on Bloomberg News, Fortune, and NPR Marketplace, and been a speaker at many off-sites and conferences. MaryLeigh’s interest in youth culture originated from her love of YA literature and pop culture anthropology, and she is continuing her passion for decoding and demystifying the next generations of consumers at YPulse.
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MaryLeigh Bliss
YPulse