Create your content in such a way that it leverages the most popular native product features and storytelling capabilities of social media platforms. Here is an overview of a few voice, tone and content style considerations for several of the top social platforms most frequently utilized by Gen Z.
YouTube
Voice, tone and style
●
● Humorous, entertaining, authentic.
●
● On these two Gen Z-centric video platforms, the tone should match the video content. For example, if the video is about visit- ing VidCon, embrace the idea of ‘exploring’ and make it fun, silly-dramatic and include Behind the Scenes (BTS) footage and exclusive interviews.
Content considerations
●
● YouTube is recommended as a top priority for driving Gen Z intent through entertaining, fun and engaging content on a branded platform.
Platform inspiration
●
● YouTube
– Tyler Oakley (@tyleroakley) – Smosh (@smosh)
– AwesomenessTV (@awesomenesstv).
Instagram, Instagram Story and Instagram TV
Voice, tone and style
●
● Creative, aspirational, conversational, kindness.
●
● Instagram is the highest-priority app for the Gen Z demographic, including kid and tween audiences, regardless of platform age restrictions.
Content considerations
●
● Your content developed for Instagram, Instagram Story and Instagram TV should be highly creative, story driven and visually stunning.
Embrace features such as Boomerang, AR filters and digital stickers.
●
● Instagram is a very hashtag-driven community, so do your hashtag research to find your audience and be sure to include them in your post.
Platform inspiration
●
● Adam & Justin (@lankybox)
●
● Liza Koshy (@lizakoshy)
●
● Justice (@justice).
Snapchat and TikTok (formerly musical.ly)
Voice, tone and style
●
● Brief, informal, fun, short video clips.
●
● The tone for these social platforms is brief, informal and funny.
Influencers and brand content on these platforms are highly irrev- erent, edgy and fun.
Content considerations
●
● On Snapchat use the ‘My Story’ feature to create collaborative storytelling experiences, contests, scavenger hunts or other active experiences for Gen Z audiences.
Platform inspiration
●
● Snapchat
– Lilly Singh (@iisuperwomanii) – Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) – Mitu (@mitu).
●
● TikTok (formerly musical.ly) – Ariel Martin (@babyariel) – JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa)
– Disney platform UK (@disneyplatformuk).
Facebook Live, Houseparty, YouNow, Periscope
Voice, tone and style
●
● Fun, conversational, informational, fan scoop, BTS.
●
● Just about every social platform has a live streaming feature and should be utilized to provide real-time access to events, celebrities and aspirational experiences and lifestyles.
Content considerations
●
● One of the key drivers of these live streaming platforms is to provide fans and followers with BTS access to celebrities, experi- ences, and events.
●
● Many of these events are aspirational in nature and provide the community with access even though they aren’t able to attend the actual event.
Platform inspiration
●
● YouNow
– Zach Clayton (@BruhItsZach) – Merrell Twins (@MerrellTwins).
●
● Periscope
– Sam Sheffer (@samsheffer).
Twitter, Tumblr
Voice, tone and style
●
● Informational, meme driven, confrontational, real time, edgy.
Content considerations
●
● Twitter and Tumblr are both communities that thrive on memes, GIFs, video, hashtags and conversations built around real-time events (sports, breaking news, television) and pop culture moments.
●
● Consider creating GIFs around your brand persona, or positioning your brand in pop culture.
Platform inspiration
●
– Oh My Disney (@OhMyDisney)
– GraceVanderWaal (@GraceVanderWaal) – Better Make Room (@BetterMakeRoom).
●
● Tumblr
– Kendall Jenner (@kendalljenner) – Amanda Brennan (@continuants ) – Pixar (@disneypixar).
CASE STUDY Embrace the fans – Taco Bell
Brand voice and tone
Taco Bell presents Gen Z with the opportunity to align themselves with a brand that is ‘young, adventurous and cool’. They can reflect this persona and retain cultural relevance across all the content they share on their social platforms.
Content strategy
Whether it’s Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram, Taco Bell creates memorable, share-worthy experiences and story-driven branded content. Their content is like a mini-TV show – it tells a story.
Snapchat
As one of the first brands to embrace Snapchat, Taco Bell uses the platform to test new ideas, connecting with its community through humour and storytelling.
By calling for Snapbacks, it provides co-creation avenues for fans and an opportunity to engage directly in a conversation with its community.
Taco Bell is selling the persona that it is fun, hip and cool. It does this by making sure that new food items are Instagram and FOMO worthy. By focusing on the needs of its Gen Z customer, it also fuels innovation and helps Taco Bell stay abreast of current trends and generational sensibilities (Taylor, 2017).
Taco Bell leverages platform application programming interfaces (API) to create engaging experiences that make its community look cool. Its #Tacogram hashtag generated a fun Twitter Card to share with friends.
Why it works Don’t market to me
The Snapchat campaign is all about treating Gen Z like personal friends, not consumers.
Make me look good
Taco Bell knows that Gen Z carries smartphones with cameras and its food will end up on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. It worked with its food team to get the perfect formula for stringy cheese so that fans who Instagram their food had FOMO-worthy photos (Taylor, 2017). Every single time.
Tell me a story
Taco Bell uses social media and embraces elements of storytelling to weave together a narrative that is often funny, irreverent, collaborative and shareable.
Tactical content considerations
●
● Content realness: Gen Z can smell a half-baked endorsement or brand trying too hard from 1,000 miles away. It doesn’t matter how good your production value is if your message doesn’t hit the mark. Be authentic, relatable and then be shareable. Simply put, when it comes to authenticity, if you’re not trusted, you’ll get ‘ghosted’, or abandoned by Gen Z.