Marketers would be unwise to overlook Gen Z, defined as anyone born between 1996 and 2010. Considered the first true digital natives, this generation has grown up doing everything online — from shopping and making friends to dating and catching up on the news. Other important characteristics of this youthful consumer group can be found in statistics, such as:
- 64% of Gen Zers say they’re willing to pay more to shop with their favorite company (strong brand loyalty)
- Nearly 20% identify as LGBTQ+, compared to 11.2% of Millennials and 3.3% of older generations (evolving societal norms)
- Half of Gen Z social media users in the United States have made purchases on social media (Instagram ranked at the top for platforms)
With these insights top of mind, it makes sense that marketers would invest in influencer marketing to try to capture the attention, loyalty, and expendable income of this young segment of consumers. Here are five tips to help your team connect with Gen Z through influencers.
1. Turn to platforms where Gen Z spends their money, not time
A March 2023 survey of adults found that while Gen Z spends more time on TikTok than other platforms, that’s not necessarily where they open their wallets.
Of the top social networks where Gen Z adults reported they’re most likely to make purchases directly, Instagram (71%) topped the list. YouTube and TikTok tied for second place (68%), followed by Facebook (62%) and Snapchat (55%).
For marketers to connect with Gen Z through influencers, they must promote products and services where the young consumers are already experienced and comfortable making a purchase.
2. Create content for the platform
Before the advent of social media, brands who had a new product or service to promote would work up a press release and send it out to the media or via news distribution services. But savvy marketers know that today’s social media platforms are as diverse as the people who use them.
Rather than creating assets and simply reformatting or editing them for distribution on multiple channels, your influencer should be tasked with creating content that’s curated not only for your target audience but also for the specific platform.
If you’re not sure about the content, format, or duration (of a clip or video) that tends to perform best on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook, you’ll need to invest some time into research long before you reach out to influencers.
3. Choose influencers that speak to Gen Z
You can’t expect Gen Z buyers to take advice from influencers they don’t respect, trust, or relate to. But that’s not to say that your influencers need to be a member of Gen Z themselves.
Look for influencers who not only share your target audience but also who have formed connections with their followers. Your goal isn’t simply to find a youthful influencer to read a script and post a photo or video of your brand’s products or services. You’re looking to integrate your brand with that of the influencer.
Because engagement is instrumental in building trust and demonstrating a true connection with potential customers, you’re not looking for influencers with the biggest follower count, either. Instead, research content creators with a track record of likes, shares, and comments on branded campaigns.
4. Lean into assets that educate, inform, or entertain
As the first generation of adults to grow up in a true immersion of social media, Gen Z is privy to all the tricks in advertisers’ playbooks. Slick advertising designed to sparkle, shine, and compel doesn’t work on this young demographic, which is why influencer marketing has so quickly turned into a vital tool for marketers.
Work toward content that educates, informs, or entertains to capture the hearts, minds, and dollars of these tech-savvy youth. Enlist the help of influencers to discuss the features and benefits of your product, the values of your company (including any nonprofits your brand has aligned with or supported), and the inside jokes or highly relatable moments that Gen Z members can see themselves in.
Whatever style, format, tone, or topic your partnering influencer lands on, they must come across as authentic, even if it’s rehearsed.
Likewise, be sure any content creators you work with are fully transparent with their labeling of sponsorships, paid ads, or paid partnerships. It’ll keep your brand, company, and influencer out of legal trouble and demonstrate to consumers that you’re being forthright in your disclosures.
5. Collect user-generated content
If you want your influencer marketing campaign dollars to go even further, look for opportunities for users to generate content that you can upcycle down the road.
With experiential marketing that includes open-ended questions, requests for images from happy customers, and feedback on free trials or samples, brands can turn their audience into advocates and collect material for assets that reflect third-party opinions and experiences.
How valuable is user-generated content? One study found that 82% of Gen Zers trust a company more “if it uses images of real customers in its advertising rather than a celebrity or paid spokesperson.”
As you search for influencers for your next campaign, consider these five tips to ensure you’re marketing to connect WITH Gen Z, not at them. Keep authenticity, relatability, and organic engagement top of mind, and choose an influencer who can create content designed for your audience on each unique platform.
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Managed Services offerings

IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings