343. YPulse. Social Media Monitor.
MaryLeigh Bliss
December 12, 2024
Listen to full episode :
Understanding how young people feel about social media is crucial for brands looking to effectively connect with younger audiences. By adapting their strategies to align with evolving platform preferences and user expectations, brands can build stronger relationships and drive engagement. In this interview YPulse's MaryLeigh Bliss shares how Gen Z and Millennials are interacting with social media.
Key takeaways:
Platform Popularity: The race is tight! TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are the top contenders for Gen Z, while Facebook remains surprisingly relevant, driven by features like Marketplace.
Snapchat's Staying Power: Don't underestimate Snapchat. It's a key platform for Gen Z's daily communication and offers opportunities for brand engagement through lenses and Bitmojis.
Mixed Views on Social Media's Impact: While young people acknowledge potential harm, especially for younger users, they also see social media as essential for social connection.
Concerns About AI and Misinformation: Gen Z is open to AI but demands transparency and regulation to combat misinformation.
Platform Preferences and Features:
TikTok: Entertainment, mood booster, trends, filters, and shopping.
Instagram: Entertainment, celebrity/influencer content, trends, Reels, Stories, and DMs.
YouTube: Entertainment and community building in the comments.
Expectations for Brands: Gen Z expects brands to be authentic, transparent, and engage in a relatable, human-like way on social media.
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