YouTube v TikTok: What Gen Z prefers

Young Britons are three times more likely to be using YouTube than TikTok, but they engage more with ads on the latter, a new study finds. 

The Social Effect, from video tech business Channel Factory, shows YouTube is the most-used platform across all age groups, with 88% of respondents using it since 2020 – that figure rises to 93% in Gen Z adults (aged 18-29) – followed by Meta (73%), TikTok (54%) and Snapchat (51%). 

Why it matters

Different platforms deliver different results for different age groups. Understanding these nuances can help marketers better focus their advertising efforts depending on what they want to achieve. 

Key findings

• Ads that are aligned with social content have a 17% higher return on investment.
• Millennials and Gen X tend to share a brand video ad when they think its content is relevant to their friends or family members (64% and 57% respectively)
• Gen Z users are more inclined to share ads that they find ‘funny’ (59%) or ‘creative and cool’ (57%).
• When it comes to online shopping, Gen Z mainly engage with Meta Image Ad (40%), TikTok video ad (40%) and YouTube video ad (32%).

Key quote 

“It seems that adverts are not only influencing the next generation’s purchasing decisions but also providing a meaningful way for them to interact with their peers, express themselves and shape their identity” – Rob Blake, UK managing director at Channel Factory.

Sourced from Channel Factory [Image: Christian Wiediger on Unsplash]