Gen Z's Search Revolution: Why Reddit is the New Google

Warm Greetings to Cogent Fam!

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Generation Z keeps driving the change within the e-commerce world. This time, they are revolutionizing product search and discovery.

According to a recent report, ?the days of traditional online Google product searches are gone, as Gen Z prefers Reddit and other social media platforms.

Gen Z changing their online shopping habits presents both challenges and opportunities for companies and professionals alike. This newsletter will break down the major highlights that emerged?from the Reddit report, conducted in collaboration with GWI and AmbassCo on the topic, to better help companies stay up-to-date with the young generation.

No more Google Product Search

According to the report published earlier this month, browsers like Google are rapidly losing their grip on product discovery among Gen Z. The study involved 3,140 internet users across the UK, US and Germany and clearly showed a net decline in Google's popularity for brand discovery amongst Gen Z.

Some key reasons for this decline are:?

Lack of monìbile-friendliness: as the smartphone generation, Gen Z often finds traditional search engines not fully optimized for mobile use, pushing them towards social media apps.

• Trustworthiness and inaccurate information: the majority of Gen Z seeks accurate and trustworthy search results from reliable sources. Although different, from previous generations they are extremely aware of paid advertisements, making them prefer crowd-sourced information.
• Disinterest in expert reviews: trying to find trustworthy reviews, Gen Z often prefers the opinions of their peers and other customers similar to them who have already tried the product. Hence, their increased disinterest in expert reviews, especially in the UK and Germany according to the report.
• Complex Interfaces: traditional search engines are also found to be complex to navigate by young users looking for quick and accurate answers to their questions. In contrast, social media platforms like Reddit offer immediate easy access to crowd-sourced information.
• Multiple pages: Gen Z participants in the survey also expressed frustrations navigating through multiple pages before finding the information they sought.

Overall the study found brand discovery by traditional product search decreased 15% between 2018 and 2023. As a result, according to Medium, traditional SEO strategies are less effective in reaching Gen Z than with other generations. Hence rather than focusing on SEO content, companies may find more benefits in increasing their social media presence and on community-based sites.

The Rise of Social Media Product Search

Weary of traditional search methods, Gen Z prefers recommendations tailored to them. By nature, social media algorithms tailor the content present on a user’s feed according to the user’s preferences and likes. Being well aware of this, Gen Z expects tailored recommendations to appear organically on their carefully curated feeds. Because of this, between 2018 and 2023 brand discovery through social media increased 36%.

Source: GWI Core, North America: USA, Canada; Europe: Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Germany, Russia, Turkey, 2018 vs. 2023.

Overall as shown in the two figures below, Gen Z (in both Europe and North America) uses social media for product discovery more than all the other generations combined. On the other hand, they reported using search engines for product search less than any other generation.

Capitalizing Gen Z's Inclination for Online Purchasing

As social media algorithms have inverted the traditional product search funnel, marketers need to employ new strategies to keep up with Gen Z.

Some key suggestions are:?

• Increase social media presence: investing in well-crafted social media strategies is now essential to show up on “for you pages” and feeds. Constant posting and careful use of hashtags are some of the main ways companies can increase their social media presence and find their target audience.
• Shareable content: encouraging engagement can drive up traffic and ensure a constant presence in users’ feeds. Creating content that is easy to share is one of the main ways to drive up social media engagement and reach.
• Visual appeal: quick well-edited and visually interesting videos are often key to retaining the attention of young consumers. Hence, video content is one of the most important tools to leverage in the current digital landscape.
• Careful with influencer partnerships: the report highlighted Gen Z's love for peer recommendations and crowd-sourced information. Partnering with influencers is one of the easiest ways to get new reviews for a product. However, as an article on Search Engine Journal noted, it might not be the best idea to target Gen Zs who are distrustful of sponsorships. According to Reddit and an article on SocialMedia Today, Gen Z is highly aware of fake and biased reviews. Hence, influencer partnerships should be carefully crafted to feel authentic and not sponsored.?

• Prioritize honest reviews: highlighting honest product reviews made by regular non-sponsored users often tends to be more relatable for Gen Z.

• Foster community building and engagement: prioritize platforms that encourage dialogue and community building. This way, it will be easier to encourage a sense of belonging and loyalty in younger customers.?

• Authenticity over promotion: according to the Reddit report and Search Engine Journal, Gen Z prefers authenticity to the feeling of being sold a product. So prioritize authentic and transparent content over promotional advertisements.?

The Ideal Gen Z Product Search

The study asked the participants what would be the characteristics of an ideal product search for Gen Z.?

Among the answers, the participants highlighted the need for:?

• Quality Reviews: for Gen Z detailed and honest reviews are key to combat misinformation and obtaining accurate information.?

• Precision and Relevance: according to the report Gen Z are often frustrated with getting irrelevant non-asked information when searching for products. This highlights a need for tools with better filtering capabilities, to produce more relevant and precise information.?

• Simplicity and no clutter: overwhelmed by the number of advertisements cluttering traditional product searches, Gen Z is now after simple, easily accessible information.?

• Customization: in the report Gen Z expressed their wishes for more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, highlighting the need for better customization filters to make their experience more interactive.?

Reddit as the perfect solution

According to the report, Reddit ranks third among friends and review websites as the most reliable source for product searches among Generation Z. Thanks to its community-based approach and its focus on specific answers to specific users’ questions, Reddit fills in some of Gen Z's main needs.

Source: GWI & Reddit Custom Survey “Search Behaviors”, U.S., UK, DE Data, 2024. How reliable are the findings from these platforms/sources?

Some of the main characteristics that make Reddit so appealing to Gen Z for product search are:

• Community-based approach: the platform offers various specialized forums, called the so-called subreddits, on a variety of topics where people with similar interests can discuss, and share advice and opinions.
• Specific answers: Reddit offers the possibility for users to ask and answer specific questions, saving time and energy and making it a more reliable source of information in the eyes of Gen Z.
• Authentic content: as the platform is uniquely built on users answering each other's questions, Reddit offers a sense of authenticity highly sought after by Gen Zs fed up with sponsored testimonials.

How to use Reddit to Boost Brand Discovery

Being a platform that Gen Z is already highly familiar with, Reddit offers opportunities for companies and professionals to boost their marketing game. Here are some key marketing suggestions:

• Build a presence: joining relevant subreddits and engaging with potential customers is one of the best ways to build a presence on Reddit.
• Participate in discussions: answering the questions and concerns of customers and actively engaging in constructive discussions without overtly selling the product will increase trust and transparency with the target audience.
• Utilize advertising options carefully: Reddit offers some advertising options which can help reach specific communities. But again, these tools have to be leveraged carefully in the hopes of targeting Gen Z.
• Encourage reviews: nothing quite does it like a good honest review for Gen Z, so encouraging reviews on Reddit is key to fostering a sense of community and trust.

Taking Notes While Switching from Google to Reddit

The shift from Google to Reddit product searches marks an important moment in the digital marketing world. The newer generation wants to be found by brands but they don’t like to be sold products, drastically changing brands' marketing needs. In this context, it is important to constantly stay up-to-date with the latest social media trends and Gen Z preferences. Here are now some important reminders to focus on Gen Z when doing product discovery:

• Engaging authentically
• Leveraging influencers wisely
• Encouraging user-generated content and honest reviews
• Building trust
• Focusing on mobile optimization

Overall Gen Z continues to reshape the digital landscape, pushing toward new ways of doing marketing and product searches. Embracing the transparency and community approach of platforms like Reddit can help companies build trust and loyalty amongst the youngest consumers.

Most importantly, by leveraging the power of social media, companies can better navigate evolving trends and build lasting relationships with Gen Z. To do this, staying up-to-date with the latest tech and marketing trends is key. CogentIbs offers various educational resources from newsletters to specialized consulting services for businesses. For more information have a look at our services at: https://cogentibs.com/services/