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TikTok? Pinterest? Reddit? In our era of AI search engines and algorithmic feeds, social media has become intensely personal and wildly scattered. With audiences now splintering, how can marketers hope to reach Gen Z?
Social media marketing has come a long way since the prehistoric days of 2010.
Back then, brands were still finding their footing when it came to online advertising, often clumsily announcing a new product or campaign through dusty corporate speak that failed to understand the strengths of platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Content was posted in a uniform, wholesale manner, with copy or video distributed identically across different websites with little consideration for the nuances each one required. At the time, these spaces were driven solely by the information that our friends and real humans (yes, imagine) shared, serving as even playing grounds for everyone.
Fast forward to today, and things look very different. The emergence of AI, as well as a shift toward algorithmic feeds, means that social media is no longer simply about our friends. Content creators and automated posts are now the primary drivers of online engagement, leading to the emergence of entire industries that utilise each platform’s metrics as best they can. What do we mean by this? Think stealth marketing, where agencies pay anonymous accounts to share content on specific platforms to steer public discourse on everything from pop stars to electoral fraud. If we’re thinking further back, you can also lump SEO marketing agencies in there too, alongside newer variations of the same business model that offer AI prompt advice.
As Gen Z has grown up with these online spaces, they’ve separated their intentions and moods onto different platforms. Each one carries its own vibe, language changes, and usage, which means that brands can no longer create marketing campaigns that look identical (or even similar, frankly) across each space.
Advertisers are now having to actively optimise their potential for discovery across different ecosystems, rather than tailoring copy and visuals to a singular search engine. Gone are the days of everyone turning to Google. Instead, searches are scattered across various websites, like Reddit, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest. ChatGPT especially has upended traditional SEO, as copywriters now have to consider the best ways to ensure that their content will be pulled as referencing material, which is a whole lot more complicated than the tried-and-true pillars of keywords, hyperlinking, and calls to action.
Community is beginning to dwarf reach, too. Hitting a large number of viewers or attempting to connect with the masses is far less of a priority in 2026, as this often doesn’t convert to meaningful engagement or sales. Greater emphasis is starting to be placed on smaller, more niche collections of users, where trust is greater and conversion rates are likely to be higher. Instead of finding ways to interrupt consumers, brands are now asking how they can become part of a broader cultural conversation that permeates traditional advertising. Context is key here.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Put simply, marketers hoping to reach Gen Z must consider the differences between each website or app they’re engaging with, and should rethink their key performance indicators. Rather than simply ballooning engagement numbers as much as possible, brands should dig deeper and explore how their metrics are serving them in real time. One million short-form views via TikTok will be far less impactful than, say, 1,500 shares on Instagram. Similarly, your brand being a sponsor or topic of discussion on a niche podcast is far more likely to convert to meaningful spending power, as it recognises and respects a specific community.
Gen Z’s internet and social media use is completely fragmented. Mainstream and monolithic culture is largely falling to the sidelines, and successful marketing must get to grips with the complexities this brings with it.
See also:
- Love Island tanks as Gen Z cools on influencer culture
- The UK shuts down social media for under 16s…what could go wrong?
- Why Gen Z is rejecting perfection (and Steven Bartlett)
