The science behind GenZ's digital behaviour

This month we dive into the behaviour of digital native Gen Zs, especially in terms of how they engage with online advertising. In doing so, we uncovered two key tips:

1. Be obvious: Gen Z only has 0.5 seconds to spare for you
2. User behaviour differs between platforms, so act accordingly

Stop their scrolling

You have 0.5 seconds to cause a reaction! That’s about as much time as Gen Z will bestow upon you to pique their interest.?

This is the reason why flags and well-known monuments perform so well – they are recognisable and have a very short “conceptualisation time”. I.e. in just 0.5 seconds, the viewer of your ad sees, understands, and is able to evaluate whether your message is relevant to them. Only then will they take any further action, such as clicking on your CTA.

Hook them before they skip

When it comes to video, it’s important to remember that the platform dictates how users behave. For instance, you could place your ad “in-stream” – as an advertisement that plays within a video stream, typically before, during, or after the main content. A common example of this is a YouTube pre-roll ad, which is the short ad that appears before a YouTube video begins. Viewers can often skip this advert after a few seconds, meaning that you will reach approx. 30% of the original viewers for more than 2 seconds. However, if you place the same video on a social media platform, you will only retain 8% of the viewers after a few seconds, as it is easier for them to scroll by.?

Essentially, this means that you can afford to tell a longer story, or hold back the punch line for a while, when running your video in-stream.?

Conversely, 88% of your viewers will drop from your videos on social media platforms within only 1 second – so you need to pack that punch instantaneously to prevent the dreaded scroll.

Given these insights, social media video ads (reels) need an attention-grabbing start, as well as a clear CTA at the end. They also need to be short and “clean”. Here’s what we have found to be a well-performing ad design:

In summary

In an increasingly competitive market, breaking through the noise and catching the attention of candidates is becoming progressively more challenging. Moreover, not only is the market becoming saturated, but today’s audiences are now digital natives, with a list of demands and expectations they expect you to adhere to –? which shifts the game entirely. What you need to do:

• Be present on the platforms that they frequent
• Come across as relevant and interesting (i.e. don’t bore them!)

So in short:

They need to see you where they “hang out”. The challenge you’ll face? Actually catching their eye-balls ??

We addressed this in previous newsletters, where we discussed what constitutes good ad and email content. Our conclusion (supported by data) was that less text is more efficient, and that creative copy containing easily identifiable icons, such as flags and well-known monuments, are far more efficient in catching attention compared to generic images or walls of text.?

Monthly tip???

If you’re evaluating the success of your digital campaign by the volume (and quality!) of leads that are generated, consider these placements:?

• Instagram Feed
• Instagram Stories
• Facebook Mobile feed
• Instagram reels

Impressions are irrelevant if you’re looking for leads. With that said, do not underestimate the feed ads – even if you think that the videos in your reels look the sleekest.?