You may have heard the term “TikTok Teen” on the news, online, or, if you’re a parent, from your children. What exactly is a TikTok Teen? They are young people who are hyper-engaged with social platforms online (especially video app TikTok, as the name would suggest). These young people are mostly Gen Z, generally defined as being born in 1997 or later. Unlike most millennials and earlier generations, they grew up on the internet, with Facebook launching in 2004 when the oldest Gen Zers were only seven.
At this point, you may be asking me: “If Gen Z is so engaged with the web, why can’t I get them to engage with my church online?” Social media marketing for younger generations is always different—they don’t use social media platforms the same way millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers do. If you want to engage a TikTok teen with your church’s social media presence, here are four helpful tips:
Consider your platforms
Facebook was the cool new social media platform for millennials (after Myspace, of course). Facebook’s allure started as a private platform for college students only, but soon it expanded and now provides a place for anyone with a valid email address to read, write, and catch up. Facebook tends to be the platform most associated with an older audience— parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all have Facebook profiles. Facebook is undoubtedly a useful tool—according to a 2018 statistic, there were 244 million active users in the US and Canada. But if you’re hoping to catch the elusive Gen Zers, you might need to look beyond Facebook. A 2019 Pew Center study reported that 67% of respondents aged 18-29 used Instagram, and 62% used Snapchat. If you want to engage more young people, you need to go where they already are. Consider the benefits of adding another platform (items to think about include who would run it and how much extra time it would take), or consider taking a look at your social media strategy and determining its effectiveness.
Think about when to post
You need to consider where to post, but you also need to consider when to post. Many social media strategies cater to the average working adult’s schedule. Perhaps a post at 8 a.m. or earlier to catch someone scrolling before they go to work, another post around noon or 1 p.m. for their lunch break, and a final post at the end of the day. While some Gen Zers are working jobs with regular hours, many are students or working in industries that don’t follow 9-5 schedules. Make use of the analytics features on your platforms. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all have easily-accessible analytics that can help you learn what time of day your posts are receiving the best responses. You can also take advantage of scheduling to post outside of the regular workday hours. Facebook and Twitter allow you to schedule directly on their platforms, and you can use free tools like Later to schedule on Instagram.
Post what they care about
Where are the young people in your community engaged? Find out what topics attract a TikTok teen and cater your posts to those subjects! A trend among the latest generation is caring about social justice issues and engaging with news and politics. Perhaps your church is trying to be more green? Post about your initiatives online, encourage comments and ideas and allow the young people in your congregation to assist in planning these newest initiatives.
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