Beyond Virality: Gen Z Values, Story‑Driven Content & Building Real Community – with Anna Canfijn
Manage episode 485431654 series 3664674
In this conversation, host Sarah sits down with Gen Z creator and marketer Anna Canfijn to unpack what actually moves the needle for brands on social media in 2025. They cover:
- Why Gen Z now judges brands first by ethics, transparency, and community impact.
- The fine line between clever trend‑jacking and cringe‑inducing meme overload.
- Three must‑have videos every brand should pin to the top of their profile.
- How to win when you don’t have a big budget (spoiler: document, don’t over‑produce).
- Why chasing virality can backfire—and what to focus on instead.
- Practical tools, posting cadence, and future trends (think Substack‑style long‑form and “low‑stim” storytelling).
Whether you run a small business or manage a marketing team, this episode gives you a no‑fluff roadmap to stronger content, tighter communities, and better conversions.
Major Takeaways
- Ethics = Table Stakes – Gen Z assumes your product works; they follow when they trust your values.
- Trends ≠ Strategy – One viral meme won’t save an off‑brand feed. Use trends sparingly, within clear content pillars.
- Story Over Budget – Audiences reward authenticity and process‑based “documenting.” Expensive production is optional.
- Three Core Videos – (a) “Start Here” brand pitch; (b) FAQ/objection‑buster; (c) Social proof compilation. Pin them.
- Community > Virality – A steady, engaged core outperforms one‑off spikes. Viral demand can break inventory and ops.
- Post with Purpose – Quality beats arbitrary “3‑posts‑a‑day” quotas. Aim for value, not volume.
- Platform Fit Matters – Show up where your audience lives, but maintain a minimal presence everywhere for credibility.
- Future Trend – A swing back to long‑form, lower‑stim content (newsletters, Substack‑style essays) that deepens brand narrative.
- Listen & Adapt – Brands that reverse bad moves (Glossier’s balm) rebuild trust faster than those that double down.
- Know Your Dream Buyer – Marketing to everyone is marketing to no one; build your avatar first, content second.
8 episodes