You hear of a new restaurant. You think you might want to try it. Where do you go first? For a lot of us, it’s social media. Do they have a Facebook page? Do creatively crafted photos of their food grace their Instagram grid?
We’ve got news for you. According to Hootsuite article by Britny Kutuchief, Liz Stanton, and Karolina Mikolajczyk, “in 2024 and beyond, social media channels represent the biggest threat to traditional search engines.” And apparently Gen Z’rs are using social media platforms to research their shopping decisions. According to the New York Times, TikTok is Gen Z’s new search engine. We decided to test it out.
On TikTok, we entered into the search bar “how to write a resume.” The result? HUNDREDS of videos explaining and showing how to write a resume- from everything from zero experience to improving an existing resume.
So, knowing all this, what should be your key takeaway?
Answer your audience’s questions on your social channels. You don’t want anyone else doing that for you!
In contrast to basic SEO tactics from the past, the article goes on to say that “social strategies are evolving to address search intent while still producing content that entertains as it educates (edutainment, if you will).” The writers are also confident that platforms will continue to refine their search functions, meaning the trend of searching for things on social platforms is here to stay.
So what can you do? The team over at Hootsuite recommends answering common questions from your folks within the content you create. Also, SEO is great, but don’t make it the main focus of your digital strategy.
In short, if you are purposeful in incorporating key topics into your content, you’ll be well-equipped to meet the needs of any ambitious social media user searching for answers to their most burning questions. Happy creating!
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Sources: The 16 Most Important Social Media Trends for 2024: Britny Kutuchief, Liz Stanton, Karolina Mikolajczyk, November 14, 2023 | https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-trends/#2_Social_platforms_will_become_the_hottest_new_search_engines
For Gen Z, TikTok is the New Search Engine: Kalley Huang, September 16, 2022 | https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.html
