‘Not Your Mom’s Facebook’ — Is It Enough to Attract Gen Z?

Welcome to The Perspective, a sequence the place HubSpotters weigh in on the newest enterprise and advertising traits.

“We aren’t your mother’s Fb.”

This daring assertion was passed around at Facebook’s event for youthful creators in NYC earlier this summer season.

Because the social large turns 20 this 12 months, they know an enormous chunk of their future depends on Gen Z. Particularly contemplating only 52% currently rank Facebook as their favorite platform, and only 33% of teens aged 13-17 use it in any respect.

(By comparability — 72% of Gen Z rank TikTok as their favourite platform, and 63% of teenagers are actively utilizing it.)

Can Fb really present youthful generations there’s extra to it than “outdated” folks and outdated memes?

To search out the reply to that query, we’ve got to begin by unpacking why Gen Z decides to spend their social power elsewhere.

And who higher to ask than a member of HubSpot’s improbable social crew and one in all my wonderful Gen Z colleagues.

Featured Voices:

Right here’s Why Gen Z Isn’t on Fb

“I believe it comes all the way down to the kind of content material on Fb,” says Reece Callaway, Model and Social Content material Supervisor at HubSpot.

“Since Fb is without doubt one of the oldest social media platforms nonetheless round, we see lots of Millennials and Gen X on Fb who commonly put up content material that doesn’t resonate with Gen Z. Gen Z needs to see the newest culturally related content material on their feeds, and Fb simply isn’t the place for that.”

And Callaway brings up an ideal level. The opposite a part of Fb’s tried rebrand is to place themselves as a “hub for all issues culturally occurring” within the platform’s underground.

Making a culturally related house for youthful generations is a vital first step — but it surely’s not essentially a simple one to perform.

The Gen Z Perspective

Justina Thompson, Affiliate Advertising Supervisor at HubSpot (and Gen Z baddie herself), looks like Gen Z is not on Fb like different generations as a result of it has a repute for being family-focused somewhat than a real social platform.

“Once I was rising up, my Fb was monitored by my mother and I primarily used it to remain linked with aunts, uncles, and center faculty associates whose profiles had been additionally monitored by their dad and mom,” says Thompson.

“Over time, I started to crave extra autonomy over my on-line presence, which I could not do via Fb.”

These are additionally explanation why I not have Fb, and I am a millennial.

My timeline was a mixture of random posts from members of the family together with the occasional “hbd” from somebody I haven’t interacted with since elementary faculty.

It grew to become onerous to curate my timeline and my following to align with my pursuits.

Thompson additionally says that Gen Z needs to excavate their very own identities on-line — particularly the place nobody they know is watching. That’s why TikTok is so fashionable for this age group.

“Individuals from wherever can work together along with your content material and never must know you IRL. There isn’t any pre-existing impression that they’ve of you.”

Thompson continues, “Fb represents having an attachment to communities that already know you. Locations like Instagram and TikTok have confirmed that you do not have to return bearing proximity to anybody you understand with the intention to construct connections. That is the hurdle I believe Fb has but to beat.”

I second that — Fb has to make that leap with the intention to compete. Channels like Instagram and TikTok have high-quality algorithms that make it simple for customers to curate their feeds and discover new folks.

So, now, this all begs the query … 

Can a ‘rebrand’ work … or is it too late?

In principle, Thompson thinks a Fb revamp might work. And I am inclined to agree. However she says it’s going to take much more than shifting what we see on our feeds to get Gen Z again there.

“I do suppose investing in what’s already on the platform, like Fb Market, is an efficient place to begin — particularly as a result of I’ve personally had optimistic experiences with that a part of Fb,” says Thompson.

And he or she’s not alone. Our research shows that social media is Gen Z’s #1 channel for product discovery, and 43% have purchased one thing through social media up to now three months.

Plus, Fb Market is actually Gen Z’s big draw to the platform proper now.

“Nevertheless, Fb isn‘t simply its Market. It’s an amalgamation of many issues, and all of these items have to talk to one another in a approach that is sensible,” says Thompson.

She continues, “I believe TikTok does an ideal job at this. Though I‘m not the largest fan of TikTok’s monetization efforts, they‘re completed properly as a result of they’re built-in into the content material you see as you scroll.”

And since different channels like TikTok are already so fashionable amongst Gen Z, Callaway says it’s going to be tough to reroute their consideration.

“It’s going to be very onerous to take Gen Z off of different platforms that they’re already on,” he argues. “I believe there is a chance for [Facebook] to rebrand themselves. Nevertheless, they’ve 20 years of repute to work towards.”

He is proper — Gen Z nonetheless sees Fb because the social channel for older generations, full of inspirational quotes and boomer humor. It’s not inconceivable, however that rep goes to be fairly onerous to shake.

So, what’s the important thing to bringing Gen Z again?

Facebook says they’re specializing in three key options to get Gen Z to purchase in: the feed, reels, and creators.

They plan to spotlight extra related content material together with Fb Market, Fb Relationship, and teams and occasions to draw youthful audiences.

From my perspective, this isn’t a foul technique. Earlier, Thompson referred to as out Fb Market as a optimistic, and serving tailor-made, audience-driven content material all the time wins.

Callaway says, “I believe they would want to get lots of the largest creators that Gen Z enjoys to persistently put up content material on Fb and do it in a approach that makes Gen Z select Fb to observe that content material over a unique platform.”

He continues, “Together with that, Fb wants options which might be distinctive to Fb, not only a copy of a well-liked characteristic from a unique platform.”

Thompson echoes the necessity for distinctive options to attract in youthful customers. Listed below are three concepts she thinks Gen Z could be thinking about:

• A customizable timeline: “Make the timeline extra customizable so Gen Z can filter via random posts from household whereas additionally getting the knowledge we really need.”
• Simpler content material monetization: “TikTok has the Creator Fund but it surely’s extremely onerous to get into … perhaps Fb might make a few of these pointers extra accessible.”
• App integrations: “I really like that Tiktok has grow to be extra built-in with different apps — like CapCut — to make it simpler for folk to supply fast, ready-to-post content material. I believe some type of integration like that will be superior.”

Somebody at Fb, in all probability:

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Fb + Gen Z = 🫶🏽?

As Thompson shared, “Fb has to grasp that Gen Z‘s priorities are quickly altering. We’re thinking about getting uncensored entry to the knowledge we have to downside remedy and reside life enjoyably.”

It is an uphill battle, and never a assured win, however I believe Fb can take steps to deliver Gen Z again — so long as they take notes from the competitors and refine the platform to satisfy their social wants.

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