{"id":440,"date":"2024-10-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/23\/not-your-moms-facebook-is-it-enough-to-attract-gen-z\/"},"modified":"2024-10-23T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T11:00:00","slug":"not-your-moms-facebook-is-it-enough-to-attract-gen-z","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/23\/not-your-moms-facebook-is-it-enough-to-attract-gen-z\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Not Your Mom\u2019s Facebook\u2019 \u2014 Is It Enough to Attract Gen Z?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to <\/em>The Perspective<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> a series where HubSpotters weigh in on the latest business and marketing trends.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not your mom\u2019s Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n

This bold statement was passed around at Facebook\u2019s event<\/a> for younger creators in NYC earlier this summer.<\/p>\n

As the social giant turns 20 this year, they know a big chunk of their future relies on Gen Z. Especially considering only 52% currently rank Facebook as their favorite platform<\/a>, and only 33% of teens aged 13-17<\/a> use it at all.<\/p>\n

(By comparison \u2014 72% of Gen Z rank TikTok as their favorite platform, and 63% of teens are actively using it.)<\/p>\n

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Can Facebook actually show younger generations there\u2019s more to it than \u201cold\u201d people and outdated memes?<\/p>\n

To find the answer to that question, we have to start by unpacking why Gen Z decides to spend their social energy elsewhere.<\/p>\n

And who better to ask than a member of HubSpot\u2019s fantastic social team and one of my amazing Gen Z colleagues.<\/p>\n

Featured Voices:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justina Thompson<\/a>, Associate Marketing Manager at HubSpot <\/p>\n

Reece Callaway<\/a>, Brand and Social Content Manager at HubSpot <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Why Gen Z Isn\u2019t on Facebook<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think it comes down to the type of content on Facebook,\u201d says Reece Callaway<\/a>, Brand and Social Content Manager at HubSpot.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms still around, we see a lot of Millennials and Gen X on Facebook who regularly post content that doesn\u2019t resonate with Gen Z. Gen Z wants to see the latest culturally relevant content on their feeds, and Facebook just isn\u2019t the place for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

And Callaway brings up a great point. The other part of Facebook\u2019s attempted rebrand is to position themselves as a \u201chub for all things culturally happening\u201d in the platform’s underground.<\/p>\n

Creating a culturally relevant space for younger generations is an important first step \u2014 but it’s not necessarily an easy one to accomplish.<\/p>\n

The Gen Z Perspective<\/h3>\n

Justina Thompson<\/a>, Associate Marketing Manager at HubSpot (and Gen Z baddie herself), feels like Gen Z isn’t on Facebook like other generations because it has a reputation for being family-focused rather than a true social platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was growing up, my Facebook was monitored by my mom and I primarily used it to stay connected with aunts, uncles, and middle school friends whose profiles were also monitored by their parents,\u201d says Thompson.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, I began to crave more autonomy over my online presence, which I couldn’t do through Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

These are also reasons why I no longer have Facebook, and I’m a millennial.<\/p>\n

My timeline was a mix of random posts from family members along with the occasional \u201chbd\u201d from someone I haven\u2019t interacted with since elementary school.<\/p>\n

It became hard to curate my timeline and my following to align with my interests.<\/p>\n

Thompson also says that Gen Z wants to excavate their own identities online \u2014 especially where no one they know is watching. That\u2019s why TikTok is so popular for this age group.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople from anywhere can interact with your content and not have to know you IRL. There’s no pre-existing impression that they have of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson continues, \u201cFacebook represents having an attachment to communities that already know you. Places like Instagram and TikTok have proven that you don’t have to come bearing proximity to anyone you know in order to build connections. That’s the hurdle I think Facebook has yet to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

I second that \u2014 Facebook has to make that leap in order to compete. Channels like Instagram and TikTok have high-quality algorithms that make it easy for users to curate their feeds and find new people.<\/p>\n

So, now, this all begs the question …\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can a \u2018rebrand\u2019 work \u2026 or is it too late?<\/h2>\n

In theory, Thompson thinks a Facebook revamp could work. And I’m inclined to agree. But she says it\u2019s going to take a lot more than shifting what we see on our feeds to get Gen Z back there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think investing in what’s already on the platform, like Facebook Marketplace, is a good place to start \u2014 especially because I have personally had positive experiences with that part of Facebook,\u201d says Thompson.<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s not alone. Our research shows<\/a> that social media is Gen Z\u2019s #1 channel for product discovery, and 43% have bought something via social media in the past three months.<\/p>\n

Plus, Facebook Marketplace is in fact Gen Z’s big draw to the platform<\/a> right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, Facebook isn\u2018t just its Marketplace. It\u2019s an amalgamation of many things, and all of those pieces have to speak to each other in a way that makes sense,\u201d says Thompson.<\/p>\n

She continues, \u201cI think TikTok does a great job at this. Although I\u2018m not the biggest fan of TikTok\u2019s monetization efforts, they\u2018re done well because they\u2019re integrated into the content you see as you scroll.\u201d<\/p>\n

And because other channels like TikTok are already so popular among Gen Z, Callaway says it\u2019s going to be difficult to reroute their attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very hard to take Gen Z off of other platforms that they are already on,\u201d he argues. \u201cI think there is an opportunity for [Facebook] to rebrand themselves. However, they have 20 years of reputation to work against.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

He’s right \u2014 Gen Z still sees Facebook as the social channel for older generations, filled with inspirational quotes and boomer humor<\/a>. It\u2019s not impossible, but that rep is going to be pretty hard to shake.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the key to bringing Gen Z back?<\/h2>\n

Facebook says<\/a> they\u2019re focusing on three key features to get Gen Z to buy in: the feed, reels, and creators.<\/p>\n

They plan to highlight more relevant content including Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Dating, and groups and events to attract younger audiences.<\/p>\n

From my perspective, this isn\u2019t a bad strategy. Earlier, Thompson called out Facebook Marketplace as a positive, and serving tailored, audience-driven content always wins.<\/p>\n

Callaway says, \u201cI think they would need to get a lot of the biggest creators that Gen Z enjoys to consistently post content on Facebook and do it in a way that makes Gen Z choose Facebook to watch that content over a different platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continues, \u201cAlong with that, Facebook needs features that are unique to Facebook, not just a copy of a popular feature from a different platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson echoes the need for unique features to draw in younger users. Here are three ideas she thinks Gen Z would be interested in:<\/p>\n

A customizable timeline:<\/strong> \u201cMake the timeline more customizable so Gen Z can filter through random posts from family while also getting the information we actually want.\u201d <\/p>\n

Easier content monetization: <\/strong>\u201cTikTok has the Creator Fund but it’s incredibly hard to get into … maybe Facebook could make some of those guidelines more accessible.\u201d <\/p>\n

App integrations:<\/strong> \u201cI love that Tiktok has become more integrated with other apps \u2014 like CapCut \u2014 to make it easier for folks to produce quick, ready-to-post content. I think some sort of integration like that would be awesome.\u201d <\/p>\n

Someone at Facebook, probably:<\/p>\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook + Gen Z = \ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffd?<\/h2>\n

As Thompson shared, \u201cFacebook has to understand that Gen Z\u2018s priorities are rapidly changing. We\u2019re interested in getting uncensored access to the information we need to problem solve and live life enjoyably.\u201d<\/p>\n

It’s an uphill battle, and not a guaranteed win, but I think Facebook can take steps to bring Gen Z back \u2014 as long as they take notes from the competition and refine the platform to meet their social needs.<\/p>\n

Want to hear our thoughts about a specific topic? Drop your idea in <\/em>this form<\/a><\/a><\/a>, and we may just feature it in an upcoming post.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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