If you've ever had any questions about Generation Z and their social media usage habits, Snapchat is about to answer them, with two new reports that cover varying aspects of the next key user group, with a specific focus on creativity, and how Gen Z views connection with people and brands online.

The first report, 'Into Z Future', is a 70-page outline of key Gen Z habits and trends, including a heap of key insights and stats to help guide your marketing approach, and to better understand this emerging audience

Indeed, according to Snap:

"A 2013 Mintel report put their annual purchasing power at $44 billion in the United States alone, with some estimates putting this figure much higher, making their engagement a boon for brands."

While Millennials have dominated the marketing discussion in recent times, Gen Z is up next, making these insights even more relevant, and important for marketers to take in.

Snap's main focus in this first report is on the creative habits of Gen Z, and how Snapchat facilitates them - which also includes some not so subtle digs at Instagram and its common traits and trends:

"From its inception, Snapchat has inherently created a frictionless space where gen Z creatives can experiment with their identities, yet not have to feel like they’re “on brand” in communicating to their close friend groups. “A lot of the product philosophy around ephemerality is grounded by this notion that you can be whoever you want to be today, without a record of who you were yesterday.”

Also:

"[Gen Z] are setting a new tone for visual culture - after an era of posed photos against millennial-pink backdrops, a new wave of content mixes selfies with spoken word, imperfect collages with augmented reality (AR) landscapes, and illustration with candid livestreams. This is layered with the need to live their truth, and an acute sense of social responsibility."

That sense of connection to societal shifts is also an essential element that shines through in Snap's research, noting that:

"Gen Z have grown up immersed in a digital-first society marked by severe shifts in economic, environmental and political circumstances. They’re the hyper-connected, highly opinionated generation, moved to activism as the internet and social media landscape has made them acutely conscious of and concerned about world events. Having lived in an era of overall progress when it comes to issues like marriage equality and body positivity, they’re forging new territory in broader conversations about identity; this is the cohort of gender fluidity and inclusivity in all its forms."

Now, obviously, there are going to be regional variations on such themes, but these are the elements that came through strongest in Snap's research.

There's a heap to take in, and the full report is absolutely worth reading through to get a feel for the key traits and habits of younger users. And within that, Snap has also included a summary of some of the key findings of their research, which we've put together below.

As noted by Snap, Gen Z is only going to become a bigger consideration for brands, so it's worth getting an understanding of the key trends in order to maximize your marketing approach for the next shift. There's a lot of insight to take in here, along with key tips for brands looking to partner with relevant influencers to reach this emerging cohort.

You can check out Snapchat's full "Into Z Future Understanding Generation Z, the Next Generation of Super Creatives" report here.

In addition to this, Snapchat has also published a second report which looks at more of the lifestyle and habitual behaviors of Gen Z, as opposed to specific usage trends.

Partnering with GlobalWebIndex, the report utilizes a sample of nearly 79,000 16-22 year-olds, across 45 markets, in order to showcase more general, demographic-style stats, including income, work types, relationships, etc.

The report also looks at device usage and digital connectivity trends, including this chart which is sure to be of interest to digital marketers.

I mean, those results are not surprising in any way, but it provides a more in-depth look at exactly how Gen Z are connecting online, and where their interests lie. 

Really, if you're looking to improve your marketing and outreach process in order to connect with younger audiences, you need to read through both of these reports. In total, you're looking at around 110 pages of research, which is impossible to capture in a summary post - and there is so much relevant, valuable data in the various findings, both really are worth the time.

You can, and should, download Snap's Gen Z reports here and here.