How does GenZ buy?
How TikTok influences buying behavior and why GenZ wants to buy promoted products online.
We can talk a lot about brand awareness and engagement, but for marketers, the primary goals remain conversion and acquisition. Even in the age of TikTok & snackable video content. Social media (still) has issues of identifying the buying decision. Even with tracking tools it’s hard to establish a direct causal link between your content plan and a product purchase. But we can intuit some trends. What drives GenZ to buy (and how) on TikTok?
First things first, what is influencing a potential purchase decision based on TikTok content? Markus Rytkönen, Brand Partnerships Manager at Fanbytes, believes that
The best performing ads on TikTok are the ones with an authentic and native feel, the ones that don’t actually give you the feel of an ad. […] The ‘Day in the Life’ trend is a great example – it’s attention-grabbing and can loosely include branded content without seeming forced.
Analyzing decision-making behavior, the August 2022 Fanbytes by Brainlabs study indicates a 32% likelihood that GenZ will buy from TikTok content if they see an ad they resonate with. And they resonate with videos that have high entertainment value (76%). So brands that fall into this category are more likely. Have fun content, drive interest and generate interest and conversion. The same study points to recommendations from content creators (22%) and presence in trending videos (28%) as significant factors in making a purchase decision.
Are GenZ interested in buying luxury brands?
Relevance is another important factor in the buying decision. A Vogue Business analysis focusing on the presence of luxury brands on TikTok points to the adoption of young consumer values as a way to shorten the decision-making process. The more open a brand is to diversity, honesty, education, heritage and a sense of community, the higher the chances of conversion and purchase. If you want GenZ to buy you have to follow the needs and beliefs of the new audience.
Emotional component changes consumer behaviour
Emotional impact is another important decision factor. Another study, TikTok Marketing Science Retail Vertical Research 2021, conducted by Walnut Unlimited, shows that those consumers set on a vibe of happiness are more likely to make a purchase in the near future. The Vogue Business study, on the other hand, points to the main attributes of a video with conversion potential – motivational, upbeat and fun. All these emotional attributes apply to influencer-generated content as well. Which will lead GenZ to buy the products they promote.
Brands need emotional engagement between creator and community. If this relationship is used smartly and meaningfully, the path from brand discovery to conversion and recommendation is shortened. Thus, apps like TikTok get GenZ to buy products even internationally.
