It has been proven time and time again that the #youths are always three steps ahead of us when it comes to social. They’re on the brink of which apps are huge, which aren’t, and which will be. They know how to use them and often write the rules for the rest of us.
With that in mind, we developed the Chatterkick Influencer Program. Completely unique to Chatterkick, this program is designed for us to utilize the brainpower and social know-how of kids and preteens to beef up our social strategy.
We invited eight local 11-18 year-olds into the Chatterkick office, gave them pizza, and picked their brains on all things social. They’re small but mighty, and we learned a thing or two.
Smartphones Are A Must; Facebook Is Not
The Influencers shared with us that desktop computers and laptops are a thing of the past– all social activity goes down on mobile. All eight participants had iPhones, each filled with a pretty curated set of apps. Snapchat and Instagram were favorites, and less than half of the Influencers were active on Facebook.
Corporate Hashtags, Offers, and Reviews
They love brands that interact with their fans on social in a human way (a la Taco Bell and Chipotle’s customer service on Twitter), but they’re probably making fun of your use of #hashtags. If a brand is offering a prize or incentive, there’s a good chance our Influencers won’t take the bait. They do, however, value a business’ online reputation. They shared that Yelp and Google Plus reviews affect their opinion of a brand in a big way.
Content is Key
These kids have grown up in the digital age and can almost always see through your ads. They know they exist on Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, and they’re cool with it, but they want to see real content. Fewer words, more pictures. Less stock photos, more real people. Ultimately, the Influencers want to see that your brand is human.
What do you think? Can your business keep up with the #youths?
Reach out to Chatterkick to find out more about what we learned from our Social Influencer Program and to be a part of our next event.
