Facebook Attracts Gen Z Users While TikTok’s Boomer Audience Grows

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By Ray Samora On Aug 3, 2024

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According to a recent report by eMarketer, Facebook is experiencing a resurgence among Gen Z users, while TikTok is gaining traction with baby boomers.

Despite these shifts, both platforms maintain a stable core user base.

Facebook’s Gen Z Renaissance

Facebook’s seeing unexpected Gen Z growth despite overall decline. U.S. Gen Z users are projected to increase from 49.0% (33.9M) in 2024 to 56.9% (40.5M) by 2028.

Key drivers:

1. Utility: Event planning, niche groups, and Marketplace appeal to younger users.
2. Demo shift: ~36% of Gen Z are still under 18, many just entering the social media space.

E-commerce potential strong: 75.0% of Gen Z Facebook users (15-26) bought on Marketplace last year.

However, Gen Z still trails Gen X and millennials in user numbers and time spent on the platform. Interestingly, time on Facebook is decreasing for users under 55, suggesting a shift in how younger generations interact with the platform.

TikTok’s Boomer Boom

TikTok’s Gen Z market is saturated, but it’s seeing surprising growth among boomers.

Projections show a 10.5% increase in U.S. boomer users next year, from 8.7M to 9.7M.

This modest uptick underscores TikTok’s accessibility and its appeal to older adults who want to stay culturally relevant and connected with younger relatives.

While boomers are the fastest-growing demographic, TikTok adoption rates are rising steadily across all generations, indicating the platform’s broad appeal.

Shifting Social Media Landscape

Facebook use continues to decrease across all generations except Gen Z, highlighting the platform’s evolving role in the social media ecosystem.

This trend, coupled with TikTok’s growth among older users, suggests a blurring of generational lines in social media usage. Platforms that can adapt to changing user demographics while maintaining their core appeal will be best positioned for long-term success.

Implications For Marketers

Platforms and users are constantly changing. Brands must adapt or risk losing ground to competitors.

TikTok’s boomer growth opens up new avenues for brands targeting older demographics, but marketers should be mindful of the platform’s primarily young user base.

For Facebook marketers, the growing Gen Z user base presents new opportunities, especially in e-commerce via Marketplace. However, decreasing time spent on the platform means content needs to be more engaging and targeted.

Action items:

1. Audit strategy: Check content appeal across age groups and platforms.
2. Diversify: Create multi-faceted strategies for different demographics while maintaining brand identity.
3. Leverage analytics: Track engagement by age group and adjust tactics.
4. Test and optimize: Experiment with content formats and messaging for each platform.
5. Stay current: Follow platform updates and demographic trends.

Stay flexible and update strategies as user demographics and preferences change.

Brands that can reach across generations while respecting platform-specific norms will likely see the most success in this changing landscape.

Screenshot from: Halfpoint/Shutterstock