originally posted to www.carnsight.com 

If you’re a brand, Gen Z will not be texting about you. But that’s not to say they aren’t talking. It means we’re seeing a new wave of communication, one that is far more visual-heavy and uses random, chaotic images to do the speaking for us. 

The days of hand-written letters are (mostly) coming to an end. Understanding the current virtual language is essential for understanding how people are actually talking about you, and how you can keep your connections going strong. 

Communication is not just words

Gen Z is the largest generation on Earth at the moment, and it’s safe to say they have a huge impact on cultural and social media shifts.  One of their biggest was turning visual images into a language in their own right. GIFs, memes, and other stills from hit TV shows are now being stored and saved to the camera roll, ready to be sent at the perfect opportunity. Group chats are now imbued with cultural references, and they aren’t references you want to miss out on.  

Online content can be used as a visual backup to our feelings. And that’s why 67% of Gen Z Facebook and Instagram users have shared video content in those apps with family and friends, as sharing content has become an easier way to connect than text-based conversation. The percentage of sharing activity on Instagram is also much higher, which underlines why Instagram now considers shares as a much bigger factor in its algorithmic ranking. 

By choosing videos that reflect your personal feelings, we can speak in a language that only exists from re-sharing other people’s content. This strengthens not only our personal connection with social media, but with the origin of the meme itself. You don’t have to have watched a single episode of Real Housewives to recognise the That’s My Opinion! lady. But that meme, despite going viral 6 years ago, is still making its way through the comment section today, so don’t underestimate the new visual language. 

Make talking as easy as possible

As a brand, you have to make the language easy for new social media users. It’s one of the reasons why reactions became so popular, giving people a way to end the conversation in a way that isn’t awkward (or worse, a full-on ghost).  

Channels started expanding these emoji reactions, adding the perfect balance of simplicity and nuance. It’s no longer an option to just ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ – users can express shock, admiration, anger, happiness, surprise etc all at the click of one button.  

This is where Snapchat does a good job of having simplified responses, with maximum engagement. Your bitmoji can react to chats in 14 different ways, all animated, depending on what emotion you want to express. However, you can only have 6 of these on your dock at one time, letting you give a timely response, without the overwhelm.  

And these quick reactions have been brought into real-life – laugh reacting to a DM is no different than the emoji feedback machines you find on the customer service desk. Giving people easy, painless ways to express their emotions makes engagement all the more accessible.  

Know your meme

Getting all your visual cues is one thing, but deciphering them is the next step. You have to be on it with your pop culture – if an image is popping up in your comment section, and you don’t know how to correctly use it, your brand will just look out of touch. 

And this will only become more prominent with future generations, both in visual language and the filler words that are now dominating social media. If you’re thinking “ate, no crumbs” is an insult, then you need to do your TikTok homework. When you understand the silly references of the generation you’re talking to, you have a much clearer perspective on what to say back.  

So yes, you need to lean into online content. Memes, stills, and even the most obscure of references will resonate with your Gen Z audience. Do your homework, and join the conversation. 

Need more tips for using social media? Leigh-Ann’s blog has got you covered.

About Carnsight Communications

At Carnsight Communications we create strategies and campaigns to showcase our clients’ brilliant work through PR, content and social media. We help them get noticed by the right audience, at the right time. We specialise in creative agency PR.