Nine Underrated Apps to Reach Gen Z
Originally published at https://www.nealsivadas.com on November 11, 2020
Gen Z loves TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. You most likely know that, but so do others. Mainstream social media platforms are becoming increasingly saturated and organic reach is hard to come by.
If you want to get creative to target and engage with Gen Z on mobile devices, there are several untapped platforms that you can find us on. Here are nine underrated apps for Gen Z to potentially integrate into your brand and growth marketing strategy.
Reddit — the powerhouse of anonymity
Anonymity is an intriguing, yet tricky line for Gen Z. The popularity of apps like ask.fm and yolo over the past decade were beneficial for some and toxic for others. As a community discussion platform built on anonymity, Reddit empowers a similar value to Gen Zers who want to express their voices and opinions anonymously. For brands, some marketing strategies include engaging with sub-reddits in your industry, hosting Ask Me Anything (AMA) forums, and creating sub-reddits around exclusive releases, tips, or product feedback.
Discord — the future of online communities
Discord is another community platform that is quickly becoming the anti-Reddit. Originally a text, voice, and video chat streaming app for gamers, Discord is now focused on building private community channels without the anonymity or Internet discoverability of Reddit.
On Discord, you can now find large communities of strangers passionate about a range of topics engaging in group chats (called “servers”), from “formula 1 racing” to “investing strategies” to “future UX Designers” to “fantasy football tips.” Saw something cool in the news? Share it. Want feedback on app design? Drop it in the text channel or hop on a voice chat with other members. Due to the privacy and security behind Discord’s walls, channels are often filled with honest and energetic engagement and discussion. Finding, connecting, and becoming friends with strangers who share similar interests has never been easier.
If I were a brand, I would be actively finding or creating channels/communities of customers who could provide immediate product feedback, spread brand awareness, or become loyal customers. Think of it as a more agile Facebook Group.
VSCO — the safe space
VSCO is known as a photo editing and sharing app, but more deeply, it’s an app that enables comfort and creativity. Unlike Instagram, follower count and likes don’t exist, allowing users to focus on creativity instead of validation. Using the various editing features through VSCO, Gen Z can simply express their creativity as a wellness activity without obsessing over a finished product. I think brands should think about how they can continue enable that same comfort and creativity for Gen Z through potential campaigns around VSCO features, as mental health and wellness are core to the generation.
Tinder — the persona builder
Online dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are popular among Gen Z adults, but the use of these apps is not as straightforward as you might think. Some users are looking for love interests and relationships, but a strong portion of users end up viewing it as another social media platform, building a persona and interacting with people “for fun.” You can reach a solid audience of Gen Zers through sponsored ads on Tinder at a pretty reasonable price.
Pinterest — where aesthetic meets values
According to Pinterest, Gen Z was its fastest growing demographic in 2020, largely focused on pins about future growth and social good. I think this is largely due our desire to manifest things before they happen, with visuals as a mechanism to achieve that. Brands can use Pinterest to enable that desire among Gen Z, especially on topics near and dear to Gen Zers such as gender equality, mental health, fashion, and body positivity.
Venmo — the mediator of finances
“Just Venmo Me.” It’s yet another invented verb that Gen Z uses on a day to day basis. Although it’s primarily an app to pay your friends back, it has the feel of a social media app, where you can write short and creative messages to the people you Venmo. I think it could actually be a viable app for advertising in the future, whether “in-feed” or something more creative. The brand angle is currently restricted by Venmo, but I think the right brand could make them reconsider and disrupt a popular, yet untapped app.
Among Us — the game of our time
If a game is good, it becomes culture. Fortnite is the quintessential example of a long-lasting fan bases to advertise to. You may have already heard of the Travis Scott or Marshmello collaboration, but there are still many opportunities for brands to get involved with the games of our time, whether through product co-innovation, brand partnerships, or creative challenges. The game of our time right now? Among Us. It’s a multiplayer game that has already infiltrated popular culture and I believe it has the potential to become a permanently popular social game. I think brands should go beyond the memes and determine how to work with Among Us long-term. For example, styling your avatar is very common among players, so a fashion brand could collaborate with the game to enhance their wardrobe options.
Livestream (Instagram or TikTok) — the meet & greet
Influencers are increasingly using livestreaming as an effective method to engage with their fans, and I think brands should get in on the action. Whether through Instagram, TikTok, Periscope, or another livestreaming platform, brands can use livestreams to engage with their most loyal customers or fans of their social media accounts. Some potential examples include having senior executives go live to answer questions or the “persona” of brands go live to interact with their fans. This could be a figurative persona (i.e. Jake from StateFarm) or the actual person running the social accounts. Sometimes people become brand fans just due to the content or personality of the brand’s social accounts and would love to meet and engage with the person behind it.
Dispo — for all your memories
I’m going to make a prediction. I think Dispo could be huge among Gen Z, not just because anything David Dobrik touches turns into gold. If you don’t know what Dispo is, it’s a recently launched camera app that allows you to take polaroid type photographs with your phone. The one catch? You can’t see the photos you took until 9AM the next morning.
As an obsessively nostalgic generation, this is the perfect app for documenting memories. There’s so much noise in your camera roll, so why not use this app as the exclusive app to store your memories? It feels retro, iconic, and secretive, and it is the only app that does not give us instant gratification. There are no advertising opportunities yet, but I think it’s something people have to pay attention to. It’s already had 3 million downloads in the first few months of launch.
These are all non-mainstream apps that currently still have Gen Z’s attention. Some are untapped, while others may become less popular over time. However, they all enable you to engage in some creative marketing strategies to engage with Gen Z without needing to compete on highly saturated platforms.
Bonus Apps: HouseParty, DePop, DoorDash
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This is part 12/12 of the “Find Gen Z Series”, a monthly blog where I detail one social or digital media platform and how to best reach Gen Z on the platform. I am no expert. All my knowledge and perspective is based on my own experience as a member of Gen Z and extensive research. My only goal is to help brands who really care about my generation and anyone else willing to listen by giving them the inside scoop on my generation. To learn about other platforms in the series, go to https://www.nealsivadas.com/find-gen-z and please reach out if you want to talk Gen Z further.
