Follow Behaviours not Platforms
A few weeks ago it was the Voxburner Youth Marketing Conference and unsurprisingly, a number of speakers referenced social media and the way in which Gen Y and Gen Z use different social platforms. After digesting everything that was spoken about, something that’s really stuck with me is an idea that brands should be following behaviours, not platforms.
Teens and young adults no longer use written words or text as a means of expressing themselves; instead it’s all about images. So it’s not that Facebook was disliked overnight, or that there was a sudden rebellion against it, it’s just that it doesn’t represent their current behaviour. This highlights the importance for brands to keep a watchful eye on how these age groups express themselves, and use platforms that reflect these means of communication.
Just as importantly, brands need to understand HOW teens are using different forms of social media in order to create tailored strategies for each platform. Simply placing the same piece of content across social platforms is seen by this age group as lazy and lacks any impact. If brands want to achieve success socially, then they need to mirror the way this audience communicate and ensure the content is relevant to the chosen platform.