Does Gen Z care about creators?

A new survey reveals the extent that online creators influence the purchase decisions of Gen Z consumers.

According to a survey of U.S. Gen Z consumers from LTK, 75% of respondents said they make purchases online from creator recommendations (21% higher than the general population), and 77% are now shopping in-store from creator recommendations.

In addition, the survey revealed that 79% of Gen Z shopping originates from social media. The study also found that creators are the most trusted on social media by Gen Z, with the overwhelming majority saying they trust creators more than social media ads and celebrities. In fact, creators are 3.5 times more influential to Gen Z consumers than social media ads.

Respondents also said that they follow creators because of their authenticity, personality and relatability. When asked why they turn to creators for style and shopping recommendations, the top reasons included authenticity for style and product quality, discovery of new products and brands, and authentic opinions on fit.

Other interesting findings include:

• Nearly half of respondents reported they are less likely to return an item after seeing a creator describe it in their video content.
• According to LTK data, micro-influencers with a following of 10,000 to 100,000 are just as popular with Gen Z consumers as macro influencers with a following of 100,000 to 1 million.
• Top factors respondents consider when selecting a brand are trendy & budget-friendly (63%), those with an environmental impact (43%), and re-sale companies (33%).
• The top categories respondents are looking to creators to help with recommendations for are beauty and personal care, fashion, food, electronics, cleaning supplies, and gaming.
• The top summer shopping trends for respondents include shoes, makeup, jewelry, skin care, shorts and swimsuits.

The LTK Gen Z shopper survey and in-store shopper study were conducted in March 2023 among 1,104 participants and 1,079 participants.

The drivers of Gen Z consumer decisions are…

Strategic marketing consultancy Sooth recently released a number of interesting statistics about Gen Z consumer behavioral drivers, showing that Gen Z consumers routinely use a high volume of social media accounts, with over 40% using at least seven accounts on a regular basis. About one-quarter of those heavy social media users have 11 or more accounts.

However, Sooth analysis indicates Gen Z consumers are predominantly engaged on TikTok and Snapchat, with all of their top 10 favorite social media activities taking place on those two platforms. In addition, close to half (46%) of Gen Z consumers are more apt to choose a brand based on the ability to buy directly through social media channels.