How to Talk to Gen Z on Social Media (Without Making It Cringe)
They drop a “💀” instead of “LOL,” post stories to songs you just heard for the first time yesterday, and can follow you one day only to unfollow the next with a casual, “meh, that’s old.”
Who are these people? Gen Z — or, as they’re often called, Zoomers.
If your business lives on Instagram, TikTok, or Threads, chances are you’ve already run into them — in your feed, your comments, or your DMs. And chances are you’ve also caught yourself wondering:
What do they even want?
And how do I talk to them without sounding like I escaped from a parent-teacher meeting and crashed a rave?
Let’s break it down — no buzzwords, no corporate fluff.
Who are Zoomers (and why should you care)?
Gen Z includes anyone born roughly between 1997 and 2012. That’s 13 to 27-year-olds today.
But it’s less about age, more about the digital world they grew up in:
- They don’t remember life without the internet
- They learned more from TikTok and YouTube than from encyclopedias
- They trust creators more than brands
- They spot BS in a second
- And they scroll fast — really fast
That’s why a classic post like “We are a company established in 2007…” is already dead on arrival.
What Zoomers don’t like:
🔻 Fancy words and corporate tone
🔻 Obvious ads
🔻 Dry, step-by-step instructions
🔻 “Teacher voice” explanations
🔻 Long videos that go nowhere
What they do like (and how to use it)
1. Irony, self-irony, and memes
Gen Z grew up on Vine, Twitter, and TikTok. Memes aren’t just jokes — they’re a language. If you speak it, you connect.
🧠 How to use it:
Turn features into relatable moments.
Instead of “Our bot verifies subscription status,” say:
👉 “Entered the giveaway and dipped right after? Not today, buddy.”
2. Straight talk
Zoomers appreciate honesty. Saying “This is a simple but effective way to grow your subs” works better than some spiel about “innovative engagement automation.”
🧠 How to use it:
Say what it really does.
Not “Optimizes your marketing pipeline,” but:
👉 “Helps you catch every DM, even when you’re busy with a client.”
3. Respect for their time
Their attention span is short — but not because they’re lazy. It’s because they’ve trained their brains to sort signal from noise fast.
So yes, “Follow → comment → get a prize” works — if it takes three clicks max.
🧠 How to use it:
If you’re running a giveaway, explain it in 5 seconds.
Why join, how it works, what they get — no TED Talk needed.
Mistakes that scream “I’m not one of you”
❌ Using slang that isn’t yours
Don’t force “slay” and “fire” into every post. Speak naturally — just skip the corporate speak.
❌ Turning every sentence into a sales pitch
“Maximize reach, create a funnel, expand visibility…” — sounds like your CRM wrote it, not you.
❌ Being afraid to sound casual
You might think “If I’m not serious, they won’t take me seriously.”
In reality, Zoomers detect fakeness faster than anyone. Being clear, simple, and real wins every time
Examples: What works vs what flops
🚫 Don’t:
“Use our automation tool to improve conversions and reach your target audience.”
✅ Do:
“Want replies in your DMs even when you’re at the gym? Our bot’s got you.”
🚫 Don’t:
“Extend your campaign to maintain engagement throughout the funnel.”
✅ Do:
“Didn’t win the giveaway but still want in? Keep it going — extend the contest and grab more followers.”
TL;DR (because they won’t read more anyway):
✅ Talk like a human, not a brochure
✅ Use examples, not jargon
✅ Don’t fake being Gen Z — they’ll know
✅ Humor helps
✅ Respect their time