The Snapchat, YouTube, & Instagram trends for Gen Z

In our latest guide, we explore the YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram trends that captivate Gen Z audiences. 

Gen Z is changing both social media and how we consume content. This can oftentimes seem inexplicable to the older generations, who may wonder why Gen Z is creating Instagram accounts that just post the same picture over and over.

Pew Research revealed that the biggest percentages of American teens are active on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Creating content for Gen Z means meeting them where they are, and understanding why they’re on each social platform. We used NewsWhip data to discover what works for Gen Z on each platform.
In this guide, we analyzed:

• How Gen Z engages with content on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat
• The platform-specific tactics of top Gen Z publishers, influencers, and brands
• What to know for creating Gen Z-focused content on these platforms

So what are some quick findings from our report?
 

The power of the influencer

 
Influencers reign on all three platforms. These may be celebrities or individuals that Gen Z has grown up with, following them from now-defunct platforms like Vine to where they’re sharing their lives now.
Or, it could be a seven-year-old boy.

 
According to Forbes, Ryan of Ryan Toysreview has surpassed Jake Paul’s YouTube earnings by $500k, for a sum total of $22 million. The 7-year-old is officially YouTube’s highest-earner of 2018.
 

Keeping it real

 
All three platforms encourage 1-to-1 dialogue and talking to audiences as peers. This applies whether the content is coming from a publisher, brand, or influencer.

It also means being relatable to their own lives, as in the case of Seventeen above, or showing them a different perspective like Teen Vogue has done remarkably well.
In a recent Pew Research study, 69 percent of teens said they think social media helps them interact with a more diverse group of people.
 

Teach, entertain, inspire, connect

 
On YouTube and Snapchat, content that entertains and/or teaches Gen Z something new does well.

On Instagram, it’s content that entertains, but also what will inspire and connect that audience.
Instagram content is the most digestible, encouraging quick tapping or scrolling, while YouTube has users investing more time, and Snapchat is a hybrid of the two. Content posted to Snapchat
As Gen Z grows up, publishers, brands, and social platforms alike will be watching closely to see how this generation defines itself.
Check out the guide for the full insights into YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram.