There’s been a lot of talk and hand-wringing over Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), entering the workforce. Forbes had an article out in May about the ways young workers’ expectations are already changing the workplace. Among other things, Gen Z is the most diverse generation, and they want employers who are aligned with their values. 

Older workers have mixed reactions to these changes. Some people welcome Gen Z, while others say they’re entitled. (But every generation since the Greatest Generation has been told by their elders that they’re entitled.) 

But Gen Z will make up a quarter of the workforce by 2025 (i.e., in 4 years), so we need to start talking now about what they’re bringing to the table.

I myself straddle the Gen Z – Millennial line. I’m a Millennial, but if I’d been born six months later, I would be in Gen Z. I’ve got friends in both generations and a Gen Z sibling. All of which leads me to have mixed feelings about Gen Z in the workforce.

Like the author of the Forbes article, I’d argue that on some level people are the same in every generation. She points out that Gen Z job-seekers still place a premium on salary and financial security. Just like everybody else. 

But it’s also clear to the author, and to me, that Gen Z is different. And it’s important to start unpacking those differences now, before most members of Gen Z are in the workforce.

 

Kids These Days are Different

Many have noted that Gen Z is the most online generation, the most screen-addicted, and the dominant force on social media platforms like TikTok. I certainly noticed this in college. Younger students were more glued to their phones – even than students just 4 years older.

But Gen Z is also more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation of Americans, and they care about diversity more. The aforementioned Forbes article highlights the fact that Gen Z job seekers want recruiters to ask for their pronouns. Also, 69% of them would be “more likely to apply to a job at a company that emphasized a racially and ethnically diverse workplace.”

They’re also more values-driven. 51% of them try to align purchasing decisions with their morals, and they extend that to their employment decisions. Young employees increasingly agitate for greater transparency from their employers. They want a seat at the table.

 

Change

Change always creates mixed feelings. Including workplace changes driven by the youngest workers. Some changes give older workers pause. Isn’t it entitled for new employees to want a seat at the table already? Others should be cause to celebrate. 

There are a number of Gen-Z-driven changes to be excited about. Maybe they do spend a lot of time online, but the upside of that is that these young workers are more adept at using digital technology. And, let’s face it, the Internet is better than it was in 2009. (In some ways.) We’re not setting our Facebook statuses to “is eating lunch” and “is sick” anymore. 

Sure, there’s a lot of crap on the Internet these days. But there’s also a lot more good content, too. Young people don’t always use the Internet in healthy ways. But that applies to members of every generation. And we’ve also begun to learn how to use the Internet better than we did in the 2000s. 

Gen Z is pushing transparency in their workplaces, which is a good thing. Greater transparency is the first step towards greater accountability. 

They’re emphasizing values, which is also good, even if you or I don’t always agree with every single one of those values. Better for employers and brands to have hard conversations about values than treat their employees like trash and take them for granted. 

But perhaps Gen Z’s best contribution is the fact that they’re driving the democratization of content. And this is improving the quality of what we read and watch.

 

Democratization of Work

Democratization of work and content has hit across industries. Work itself is being transformed by the shift towards entrepreneurship and work-from-home. The economy is being shaken up by the Great Resignation. This has shifted the hiring market temporarily in favor of labor, which is going to force employers and workplaces to improve. This will lead to better working conditions. 

Gen Z may not be driving the Great Resignation, but they are driving content democratization. They’re adept at using social media, and they know how to use digital technology in ways that established brands don’t. Which is why Fortune 500 businesses are paying 21-year-old influencers (who work alone) to promote their products and services on social media for them. 

Are there downsides to this democratization? Of course. But it’s also leading to more independence, better content, and more diversity of thought. 

As Gen Z enters the workforce, it will naturally change the ways we work, just like every previous generation did. Young people may not be experienced, but they have fresh ideas. Companies that succeed in the coming years will focus on the opportunities created by those fresh ideas, while navigating or mitigating any less-positive changes.

For anyone who hasn’t been following it, influencer marketing seemed to come out of nowhere. In 2010, most people would have laughed if you’d told them someone could make a good living off of their Facebook account.

Today, influencers are no joke. Every social media platform – even LinkedIn – has these individuals who, by cultivating a large following and developing a personal brand, can now make a full-time living by posting gym selfies or road trip tweets. To some people, it may not seem fair that some 22-year-old can earn a multi-six-figure income from his Instagram account.  

But many brands have woken up to this new reality. Most influencers primarily earn a living by promoting products and services in a particular niche: beauty, fashion, health and fitness, travel, and even finance. Millions of people follow these individuals in order to hear their opinions on topics and products within their particular niche.

 

What makes this work?

Influencers achieve success by building massive followings. Companies pay influencers for access to those audiences. But companies wouldn’t continue to pay if this new kind of advertising wasn’t working out. It must be because it continues to grow, year after year.

Influencer marketing is similar to celebrity marketing, but in most cases, it feels more personal. This is the key. Influencer marketing works for the same reason that word of mouth still drives everything from podcast subscriptions to plumbing businesses to book buying habits. 

Inundated by a sea of choices, most people don’t have the time or energy to research every buying decision they make. Instead, they rely on the advice of friends and family and people they trust. Even for businesses not traditionally considered word-of-mouth businesses, trusted recommendations play an important role in conversion. 

People trust real people. Individuals they know, or whom they feel like they know. Young people, especially, trust influencers (a lot more than they do corporations). The Greatest Generation trusted household names like Budweiser and Maxwell House, but Gen Z doesn’t work like that. 

Yes, a 23-year-old really does trust some guy she met on TikTok more than a brand that’s been around for 95 years.

 

How this works on social media

Many social media users (of every generation) just scroll past posts from brands. As soon as they see that it’s not a post by a person, they skip it. 

I’ll give a personal example. I’m a serious runner. Not only do I run almost every day, I read books and watch videos about the sport. But to be honest, if I’m on social media I’m probably just going to scroll past a post from Nike or Adidas, unless it’s a post featuring one of my favorite elite runners. And to be even more honest, I’d rather just follow my favorite runners in the first place. I want to hear from them more than from their sponsors. 

For most of the runners I care about, I know exactly who sponsors them. It doesn’t bother me when they plug those sponsors, in fact I like it. Sometimes I even rely on those recommendations. Hoka’s sponsorship of Sage Canaday almost certainly influenced my decision to start running in Hokas (along with recommendations from friends and family members). 

Elite runners may cross over into mini-celebrity status. (Although, I follow Canaday for his advice on training, not because of his racing career.) But what about random college students with a million TikTok followers? Why would young people care about their opinions?

 

Besides, isn’t social media a false picture of reality?

Sure, many influencers really don’t live the perfect lives their Instagram accounts portray. Most social media users cultivate an image of a lifestyle that is more perfect than their actual lives. 

But it feels authentic to their followers. Or at least more authentic than scripted posts reviewed by a board.

Many of the most successful influencers are able to connect with a portion of their following on a level that feels personal – or at least more personal than the relationship between a brand and its consumers.

 

But followers have never met influencers. How could the relationship feel personal?

If you consistently listen to a podcast, or a radio show, you may have noticed that over time you begin to feel that you know the host(s). You come to like and trust and perhaps even to feel affection (or at least affinity) for the voice(s) you have brought inside your head. In short, you feel as though you have a connection with a person whom you have never met. (It can even happen if you watch enough seasons of a television show depicting fictional characters.)

I first discovered Hokas from watching Sage Canaday’s YouTube channel. When I eventually bought my first pair, I consciously reflected on his promotion of them. Years of watching his videos meant that I trusted his opinion on running shoes. 

Influencers are able to cultivate a level of trust and intimacy with their followers that brands cannot (or at least they are more adept at it than brands). This is because influencers are real people, even if they have a fake image on social media. Since influencers can build trusted bonds with their followers more adroitly than brands, it makes sense for brands to partner with influencers. 

A post by Nike about a new line of running shoes may not turn many heads. But millions of people might go out of their way to hear Eliud Kipchoge’s opinion on the new shoe line.

 

If you create relationships with influencers who then promote your company, you may reach thousands of people you never would have otherwise.

If you manage social media for any B2B company, you probably already know you need to approach social media differently than a B2C company. 

But do you know the best B2B-specific ways to use social media?

If you aren’t taking full advantage of social media, you’re potentially leaving money on the table. Given that the number of users on social media is projected to reach over 4.4 billion by 2025, and that social media advertising was ranked the 2nd most effective paid content distribution channel by B2B marketers in 2020, you can’t afford to phone in your social media strategy.

Here are three ways to differentiate your B2B company on social media, and maximize your use of it. But first, a bit of background.

B2B vs. B2C – Different Social Media Goals

Social media is inherently informal, casual, and sometimes even unprofessional. It can seem like B2B companies are not suited to platforms like Facebook and Twitter. After all, B2B companies can’t afford to roast competitors like Wendy’s or wax philosophical like Steakums.

B2B brands and B2C brands have different goals for their social media engagement. B2C companies want to generate buzz and attention. The more shares and likes (and even dislikes), the better. Even negative comments are good if they keep the conversation going.

B2B is different. You need to educate your audience, build trust and awareness, and develop a strong reputation. All with the goal of bringing more potential buyers to your website, where the actual sales are made. With that in mind, here are three ways for your B2B brand to stand out on social media.

 

1. Publish long-form posts.

LinkedIn lends itself the best to long-form posts. And luckily, it’s the most important channel for B2B. 96% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn. If you’re reading this, chances are, you’re already on LinkedIn.

But did you know that long-form posts – posts with 1900-2000 words – performed better than any other posts on the platform? On average, long posts received tens of thousands more views than short posts.

This is great news for B2B marketers. By providing your audience with in-depth, educational content, you gain their trust. B2B buyers don’t follow you to see humorous tweets. They follow you because they respect you and want to learn from you.

Beyond LinkedIn, you have a couple of options for long-form posts. Facebook is reportedly getting into the newsletter business. And while Twitter may not be conducive to long-form posts, it’s perfect for sharing links, which leads us to the next B2B social strategy.

 

2. Use links frequently.

As a B2B marketer, you know that you need to bring your prospects from social media to your website to move them along the buyer’s journey. After all, nobody buys a CRM software, or an industrial A/C unit, or shipping containers, because of a funny tweet. B2B buyers want information before they make a purchasing decision.

Fortunately, what your prospects want lines up with what you want. They want to learn about solutions to their problems, and you want to educate them about the solutions you have. Your followers on social media want to see links to your blog, your white papers, and your tutorials. By giving them those links, you gain their trust, bring them to your website, and move them further along the buying process.

As long as your content delivers, linking to it will enhance your reputation on social media.

 

3. Manage your social strategy with a platform designed for B2B.

Finally, to truly up your social media game, you need to manage your social media with a B2B social media management platform.

Most social media management platforms are built for B2C companies. While B2B businesses use them, these platforms are not optimized for the goals and tactics of business-to-business social media campaigns.

In order to take full advantage of the social media opportunity, you need a platform built for B2B social management. While you can get by on one designed for B2C social management, you will thrive on a platform designed for B2B.

If your B2B brand uses consultants, lawyers, and accountants who understand the nuances of the business-to-business world, you should use a social media management platform built for those nuances, too.

 

How To Apply All 3

If you needed one more reason to pay attention to your social media management, 71% of consumers report increasing their social media usage in the past year.4 In 2021, you can’t phone in your social media strategy anymore.

To bring your A game to social media, you need to differentiate your brand with long-form, in-depth posts, as well as links to your best articles and e-books. And you need a management platform designed with your goals in mind.

Social media is a powerful tool, if used in the right way. Among other things, it can help connect millions of people to the solutions that will improve their work. But that only happens if the people using social media understand their goals and the best ways to achieve them.

These three tips can ensure you make the most of this powerful tool.