YPulse: Why Gen Z and Millennials Unfollow Brands on Social Media

In addition to understanding what Gen Z and Millennial consumers like to see from brands, it’s also important to understand what they don’t like, especially what would prompt them to unfollow a brand on social media. Following a brand on social media has become a form of currency, so “unfollowing” is the worst thing.

Only 7% of social media users would not unfollow a brand for anything, and 7% would not follow any brand on social media. Therefore, for the other 86% of consumers, brands are at risk of being unfollowed for a variety of reasons.

Boring posts are the top reason young people unfollow brands

What’s the number one reason young people unfollow a brand on social media? Boring posts. It should be a no-brainer for brands to create content that appeals to younger consumers.

According to young social media users, the content they want to see most is new products/innovations. Quirky product marketing and unexpected collaborations will attract attention, but for these people, any product that improves on what came before is innovative.

Brands that do not align with consumers’ values ​​are likely to be unfollowed

Young consumers are critical of whether brands align with their socially conscious values. While it may not be as strong as labeling a brand as “unfollowed,” 1 in 4 young consumers are prepared to unfollow a brand if they find it does not align with their values.

Irrelevant, mechanical, and photoshopped content is not worth paying attention to.

While young people want to see engaging posts about brand innovations on their timelines, they don’t want to see irrelevant content. Therefore, brands need to consider how to connect with the lives of Gen Z and Millennials. But the key is to do it in a way that is authentic to the brand, not in a way that caters to what older generations think young people want to see.