Rae Yule Kim
©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MYPOKCIK
Social media can be an effective medium to reach Generation Z (Gen Z) and advertise science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. Creating viral content on social media is all about starting a trend and attracting user-generated content. One successful content can nudge millions of user-generated content and generate billions of views.
Social media has transformed how we communicate with each other. Before social media, our communication medium was limited to only people we knew. One viral content on social media spreads to billions of people. Social media can be an effective medium to reach out to Gen Zers and inform them about the importance of STEM skills.
The number of students enrolled in STEM programs has been in decline since the 1980s (Athanasia et al., 2022). Only 11% of the U.S. population has a STEM degree, while more than 30% of jobs available in urban areas are in STEM fields (Athanasia et al., 2022). Furthermore, STEM jobs are projected to grow by 10.5% over the next eight years (Vaughn College, 2022). Student success in STEM programs is key to maintaining the global competitiveness of the technology industry. In addition to student success, it is important that STEM departments engage with students and spark an interest in pursuing a STEM education as well as careers in science and technology fields.
With Millennials, we have observed a decline in interest in STEM education and student performance. The U.S. ranks 52nd in the world for science education performance and 27th in terms of the proportion of students pursuing a tertiary degree in STEM fields (Godfrey, 2015). However, student sentiment toward STEM education and careers seems to have shifted with Gen Z. Gen Z indicates people who were born after 1997. Members of Gen Z, growing up during the financial crisis, tend to be more realistic compared to Millennials and value economic security (Francis and Hoefel, 2018). For this reason, Gen Z chooses STEM as a top career choice (Vaughn College, 2022). This is a positive trend for STEM departments since student sentiment on STEM education is improved among the younger generation.
Social media is often the best marketing medium to engage this young generation. Members of Gen Z are often called “digital natives.” About 90% of Gen Zers learn about new products via social media, and among them, 70% use social media for more than 2 h on average every day (Novelli and CONE, 2019). For this reason, response rates or conversion rates for social media marketing tend to be higher for Gen Z compared to older generations (Novelli and CONE, 2019). However, there is still the question of how to engage Gen Z on social media.
One characteristic that distinguishes the interaction style of members of Gen Z from older generations is that they not only consume but cocreate content: 86% of Gen Zers seek to post sponsored content for financial returns, and 54% aspire to be social media influencers (Locke, 2019). Their motive for consuming social media is different than that for traditional media. Gen Z utilizes social media to create content more than to consume content. While traditional media often works one way, and people mostly are just receivers of marketing communication, Gen Z is on social media to react, cocreate, and galvanize a new trend.
Interpersonal interactivity is the characteristic that distinguishes social media from traditional media outlets. In interpersonal interactions, self-expression plays a key role. Interpersonal dynamics on social media also operate based on self-expression (Special and Barber, 2012). A previous study surveyed college students and found that people who engaged in more self-expression tended to receive a higher number of likes on Facebook and reported a higher level of satisfaction from using social media. Predictably, one reason why people like and share content on social media is that they want to disclose themselves. Likewise, one reason why members of Gen Z create user-generated content is that they want to exploit the opportunity to express themselves.
Viral content on social media means content that triggers many reactions and user-generated content from others. To trigger a viral trend, it is important to align your content with Gen Z’s wants and needs. Gen Z is attracted to content that helps them express themselves. Here are some ways to appeal to Gen Z and trigger user-generated content from them.
The three most popular social media platforms for Gen Z are TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram (Markerly, 2022). Although Facebook is a popular platform for reaching tens of millions of members of older generations, it is largely seen by Gen Z as a platform for their parents and grandparents (Press-Reynolds, 2021).
TikTok is currently the most used social media platform by young people from ages 14 to 25 (Markerly, 2022). One feature that distinguishes TikTok from other social media platforms is the hashtag challenge. You can upload content that invites other people to create their content as a response. One well-known example of a hashtag challenge is the Ice Bucket Challenge, where many social media users post videos of themselves pouring buckets of ice on their heads to increase awareness of a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This hashtag challenge nudged thousands of user-generated content and approximately 205 million impressions. TikTok users best respond to relatable, fun, and exciting content.
YouTube has the second-highest number of monthly users. YouTube is also considered the second largest search engine next to Google. YouTube offers a short video format, referred to as YouTube Shorts. YouTube is the best channel if you seek to deliver informative content. Also, keep it short and touch people’s emotions to go viral on YouTube Shorts.
Instagram is often considered to have originated the influencer culture (Markerly, 2022). Although Instagram provides a short video format, Reels, it is widely a picture-based platform. Therefore, it is important that your image is well composed. Particularly, Instagram content tends to be more polished compared to TikTok content, which tends to be authentic and raw. To better engage students on Instagram, appeal to personal stories. Instagram users tend to best react to content that has a story and is personal to them. Write about how studying until late during the exam season makes people feel with a nicely edited photo of the library.
One unique characteristic of Gen Z is that they are highly engaged with social and environmental causes. A Deloitte survey indicates that the environment is the top concern for Gen Z, followed by unemployment and health care (Deloitte, 2022). Creating a hashtag challenge and/or a Twitter thread about an environmental initiative on the university campus can be a good idea to appeal to Gen Z. The hashtag challenge #climatechange invites people to post content about global warming. Tens of thousands of people took the challenge, and user-generated content created about 4.3 billion impressions. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of Sustainability runs its own Twitter account, and it is followed by 3,428 people.
About 87% of Gen Zers subscribe to at least one influencer (Morning Consult, 2019). STEM influencers can motivate students to think of potential STEM career paths and provide real-world insights that help students prepare themselves better for the industry. Particularly, STEM influencers can help inspire students from underrepresented groups in science and technology fields. Although Black and Hispanic individuals make up 11% and 16% of the U.S. workforce, respectively, each accounts for 6% of the STEM workforce. A recent study found that the gender wage gap in Europe has increased with the Fourth Industrial Revolution due to the underrepresentation of women in better-paying occupations in technology fields (Bernadin, 2021). Teaming up with STEM influencers and business moguls, particularly for those from an underrepresented background in the science and technology industries, can help students have positive role models and be inspired to pursue education and careers in STEM fields.
Social media is the most effective medium for reaching out to Gen Z about STEM programs because most Gen Zers learn about new things on social media. To market effectively on social media, create a trend, not an advertisement, because marketing on social media is not one-way communication. To nudge a viral trend, 1) choose the right platform depending on the purpose of the marketing, 2) create cause-related content, and 3) partner with influencers.
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Rae Yule Kim (rae.yule@gmail.com) earned his Ph.D. degree in marketing from Rutgers University. He is an assistant professor of marketing at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043 USA.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPOT.2023.3267901