How brands can build fandoms and influence Gen Z through social media

I find myself slightly obsessed when watching my go-to TV show or interacting with my favorite brands on social media. This is because of how smart and thoughtful the social media campaigns are and how they create what I call a fandom army. Simply put, this is a dedicated fan base that will tune in, buy, subscribe, follow, comment excessively and consume every piece of content that is posted on the brand’s social media accounts. In recent years, influencers and content creators have created their own fandom armies and have entered social feeds in an influential way. They are cultivating huge followings based on who they are or what they enjoy doing and organically sharing that on social. Brands looking to create and build fandom, much like these influencers and creators have done, should follow a few key best practices: Create transparent, relatable and desirable content Consumers want to be in the know. What TV show has everyone been obsessing over at work? What products are all my friends now swearing by? Creating an online community with content that is transparent and relatable builds trust. It creates a space where followers become fans and begin to invest in the content and crave more. Ad Age Gen Z Contributor Column We welcome Gen Zers to submit fresh takes exploring Gen Z within the ad industry Learn more here Find the right partnership Influencers have a great understanding of social platforms, and they can easily create content that feels native and organic. This softens that “branded/ad-like” feel and allows the influencer to speak for you as a brand in a fun and engaging way that helps to cultivate brand awareness and recognition. Tap into trends In marketing, it can be tricky to keep feeding the fandom with branded content that doesn’t feel stale. Tapping into trends is a way for brands to freshen their content while relating it to what everyone is talking about at that moment. When a brand approaches a trend in a unique way, staying true to its voice and tone, it shows authenticity and trust in its fandom. That’s when I believe a brand stands out and can understand its place in social conversations. One brand that does this well is DoorDash. Its partnerships, from TikTok influencers to reality TV housewives, have kept it constantly on my FYP with the most engaging and relevant content. You don’t even realize it’s an ad because of how perfect the partnerships are and how entertaining the content is. Remember when everyone was making viral cucumber salads? DoorDash joined the conversation by partnering with @logagm, who started the trend, to create a video where he talked about how easy it was to get all the ingredients for the salad with DoorDash. DoorDash was successful because it kept the content relatable and desirable, had the perfect partnership and jumped in at the right time. TV series and streaming platforms are also finding ways to build fandom. By using their talent as influencers, they create authentic sub-stories and social-only plotlines that keep viewers engaged and, most importantly, entertained. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” is essentially delivering a masterclass in this method. Read Ad Age’s Best of 2024 stories here In the past year, the show has seen a much younger audience tuning in and an increase in fans actively voting for their favorite contestants each episode. Much of this has been credited to an uptick in the impact of TikTok, where younger audiences are investing themselves in the show’s talent—both professional dancers and celebrities. The show, which has completed its 33rd season, has had many viral moments. These include Witney Carson and Danny Amendola's leg lift move that many tried to recreate, Ilona Maher’s relatable “Not too well Carrie Ann” and the scandalous Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko “romance” that continues to play out over social even though the two have since been eliminated. It’s clear that GenZ has really taken to TikTok to give this show new life and a new and bigger fandom. As the creator and influencer economy continues to evolve and social media content adjusts itself to the never-ending demands of the consumer, it’s important for brands and entertainment properties to take advantage of the opportunities to build fandoms on platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Spotify. If you can create relatable and relevant content with an authentic partner that’s on trend, an army of fans is waiting to champion your brand. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today

How brands can build fandoms and influence Gen Z through social media

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