Gen Z prefers to research brands on social media over search engines

Key stat: Over half (51%) of Gen Z consumers worldwide use social media to look up a brand versus 45% who turn to search engines, per GWI Core data from 2023.

Beyond the chart:

• The top reason Gen Z likes to use the search function of social media is because it helps them get the information they want quickly, cited by 60.1% of Gen Z social search users, per our October 2023 survey.
• They also like to search on social because results are relevant (36.7%), visual (26.5%), and because it’s fun (21.4%), per our survey.
• If traditional search engines like Google or retailers like Amazon want to win Gen Zers’ favor, they need to take a cue from social and make search results more engaging and relevant.

Use this chart:

• Track Gen Z search behaviors over time.
• Justify ad spend on paid social channels, specifically in search results.

More like this:

• How Gen Z shopping behaviors can influence retail media
• More than half of Gen Z prefers searching on TikTok over Google
• Gen Z excels at social media marketing. How do brands keep up?
• 3 ways brands can adapt to Gen Z’s evolving shopping habits