3 reasons why influencer marketing works for Gen Z

martinagvisionfact
Sep 15
3 min read

Updated: Sep 17

The second youngest generation, Gen Z, refers to people born between 1996-2010. A generation shaped by digital innovations, pandemic lockdowns, climate changes or even changes in the financial landscape. Gen Z grew up with social media, computers, smart phones and therefore they are described as digital natives. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are more than just entertainment, young people use them as a source of inspiration, information or even as a sense of community. As a result, their deep connection and daily consumption of online content highlights the significant role and high demand for influencer marketing.

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Influencer marketing vs. Social media marketing

What exactly is influencer marketing? If you have ever bought a product because you saw it on social media platforms, you have already experienced it! At its core, it is a marketing strategy that uses endorsements and product mentions from people who have a dedicated social following on social media platforms, also called influencers. In 2025, influencing isn't only about taking nice pictures or doing viral videos, it's about building movements, creating communities or even creating space for people.

On the other hand, social media marketing focuses on using social media such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or YouTube to promote a brand, product, service or to engage with the community. It includes content creation, paid advertisements, analytics and also influencer marketing.

Reason #1: Authenticity and Trust

Firstly, the young generation prefers content that is authentic, real and trustworthy rather than professionally filmed ads on television. It allows them to follow the everyday lives of influencers and connect with them on a personal level. For Gen Z trust plays an important role in seeing them as normal people especially micro and nano influencers who are seen as peers rather than celebrities. A great example is influencer Emma Chamberlain who is a very open and authentic person. Beyond promoting beauty and fashion trends she owns her Chamberlain Coffee brand influencing young people to make sustainable choices and embrace authenticity in their lives.

Reason #2: Social Media Engagement

Secondly, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are nowadays the most popular and favorite social media platforms among young people. As Gen Z are described as digital natives they spend significant time on phones, tablets or computers. This results in high engagement with content, particularly in short videos, interactive challenges or trends that are created by influencers. Therefore, the strong bond between influencers and their followers means more views, clicks and shares. For a company or a brand that wants to promote their products through influencers, it creates an opportunity to reach Gen Z in a natural way.

Reason #3: Alignment with Values

Thirdly, Generation Z cares about social issues such as sustainability, social justice, diversity or inclusivity. Therefore, they follow and support influencers and brands that reflect these values rather than big name celebrities. According to Forbes, top influencers to follow in 2025 are Camila Coelho, Ninoska Vazquez, Salice Rose and Luisa Fernanda W. They all use their platforms to authentically promote topics such as mental health, social responsibility, self-love or ethical practices aligning their content with their values. In addition, for Gen Z, following these influencers is more than entertainment, it is also a way to support their content and movements. Brands that collaborate with these influencers benefit from their alignment as well, as they are perceived as more value-driven and authentic, which supports their trust and loyalty from young customers.

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Conclusion

To conclude, Gen Z is different from any other generation, shaped by digital technologies, global changes, challenges and constant presence of social media platforms. They crave authenticity, spending long hours on social media with content engagement and influencers who align with their values. These three reasons: authenticity and trust, high engagement and alignment with values, explain why influencer marketing works on Gen Z.

For brands and companies, it means that Gen Z will not react to perfect professional advertisements but they will react to more authentic and trustworthy recommendations from their favorite influencers. Ultimately, influencer marketing is not only about selling products to followers, but it is about building meaningful connections with the next generation of consumers.