What Public Relations Can Learn from Generation Z and Tik Tok

By Amber Miller | November 28, 2020

Being the most social media savvy and soon to be the largest consumer population, the generation comprised of roughly 72 million people is worth noticing. 

This is the generation that had enough power to move Donald Trump to attempt to ban Tik Tok for its users’ pranks and videos against him. His team claimed the attempt was due to their conflict with China but even I would be flustered if a bunch of Tik Tokers reserved spots at my rally and purposely not come, leaving me to speak to a sparsely filled stadium. 

Generation Z has a lot of influence and they know what to do with it. Those born between 1996 and 2010 have grown up with social media and are creating and using new forms of it every day. They are fearless and use apps like Tik Tok to rally support behind causes they care about in creative ways. 

According to Pew Research Center, Members of Gen Z are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation. As a professional in public relations, you are thinking about your audience. It does not make your job easier but, America’s youth consists of everyone. You are marketing to every race and culture but luckily, there is one thing that seems to unite them.

PR representative or journalist alike, I would get my client or outlet on Tik Tok. It is both a tool for engaged journalism and for videos to gain enough traction to potentially go viral. Tik Tok’s algorithm makes it so people who are interested in what you are posting will see it. You won’t be throwing your project into the social media void that exists on platforms like YouTube.

Familiarizing yourself with this Gen Z bubble of trends and jokes may be uncomfortable but again, they are your biggest consumers. Inserting yourself in their social media landscape should be your first priority as much as getting Donald Trump out of the White House was theirs.

_______________________________________________________________________________________Amber Miller is a journalism student with a public relations emphasis at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Miller’s passion for music and entertainment led her to search for a job that could encompass that, landing her in public relations. All of her work has greatly involved guest relations and has prepared her for working with different kinds of people. She hopes to work closely on events as she is suited to detailed work and graduates in May 2021.