‘Not Your Mother’s Fb’ — Is It Sufficient to Entice Gen Z?

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

“We’re not your mother’s Fb.”

This daring assertion was handed round at Fb’s occasion for youthful creators in NYC earlier this summer time.

Because the social large turns 20 this yr, they know an enormous chunk of their future depends on Gen Z. Particularly contemplating solely 52% presently rank Fb as their favourite platform, and solely 33% of teenagers 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Can Fb really present youthful generations there’s extra to it than “outdated” individuals and outdated memes?

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

And who higher to ask than a member of HubSpot’s unbelievable social group and considered one of my wonderful Gen Z colleagues.

Featured Voices:

Right here’s Why Gen Z Isn’t on Fb

“I feel 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 frequently publish content material that doesn’t resonate with Gen Z. Gen Z desires to see the newest culturally related content material on their feeds, and Fb simply isn’t the place for that.”

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

Making a culturally related area for youthful generations is a crucial first step — however it’s not essentially a simple one to perform.

The Gen Z Perspective

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

“After 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 pals whose profiles have 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 relations together with the occasional “hbd” from somebody I haven’t interacted with since elementary faculty.

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

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

“Individuals from anyplace can work together together with your content material and never should know you IRL. There is not 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 recognize to be able to construct connections. That is the hurdle I feel Fb has but to beat.”

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

So, now, this all begs the query … 

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

In concept, 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 effective place to begin — particularly as a result of I’ve personally had constructive experiences with that a part of Fb,” says Thompson.

And she or he’s not alone. Our analysis reveals 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 the truth is Gen Z’s huge draw to the platform proper now.

“Nonetheless, 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 means that is smart,” says Thompson.

She continues, “I feel TikTok does a fantastic job at this. Though I‘m not the largest fan of TikTok’s monetization efforts, they‘re finished effectively 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 in style amongst Gen Z, Callaway says it’s going to be troublesome to reroute their consideration.

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

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

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

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

They plan to focus on extra related content material together with Fb Market, Fb Courting, and teams and occasions to draw youthful audiences.

From my perspective, this isn’t a nasty technique. Earlier, Thompson known as out Fb Market as a constructive, and serving tailor-made, audience-driven content material at all times wins.

Callaway says, “I feel they would wish to get lots of the largest creators that Gen Z enjoys to constantly publish content material on Fb and do it in a means that makes Gen Z select Fb to observe that content material over a special 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 special platform.”

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

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

Somebody at Fb, most likely:

Picture Supply

Fb + Gen Z = 🫶🏽?

As Thompson shared, “Fb has to know that Gen Z‘s priorities are quickly altering. We’re inquisitive about getting uncensored entry to the data we have to downside clear up and reside life enjoyably.”

It is an uphill battle, and never a assured win, however I feel Fb can take steps to convey 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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