--- title: Social media = the new Google? date: 2024-08-09T15:47:25Z modified: 2025-02-07T15:18:17Z permalink: "https://empower.agency/insights/social-media/social-media-the-new-google/" type: insight status: publish excerpt: Data suggests social media may be the new ‘Google’ or preferred search engine for Gen Z. wpid: 2722 insight_cat: - Social Media - Trends featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Untitled-1920-x-680-px.jpg featured_image_alt: Untitled 1920 x 680 px --- ![Untitled 1920 x 680 px](https://empower.agency/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Untitled-1920-x-680-px-600x338.jpg) • 5 mins # Social media = the new Google? Data suggests that social media may be the new ‘Google’ or preferred search engine for Gen Z. ## What's the trend? With social media platforms prioritising visually appealing and easily digestible content, as well as being easily accessible, people are shifting the way that they gather information. ## Key Stats [A recent study](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/social-media-new-google/) found that young people are changing the way they search for things online. ### 25% decline in using Google for Search between Generation Z and Generation X ### 29% of people use social media for Search as they find it more convenient than traditional search tools ## Our thoughts This user behaviour highlights an opportunity for organisations to be discovered via social media search on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn, which could in turn help grow awareness of their brand and mission, especially amongst younger audiences. Organisations could benefit from using key hashtags and keywords that would boost their content in the social media search algorithm, as hashtags are [still effective](https://creategrit.com/do-hashtags-still-matter-in-2024/) in making posts appear in a search. As well as being convenient, the rise of social media as a search engine may be due to audiences trusting the authenticity of social accounts, with a survey conducted by Social Media Today revealing that 86% of people say that authenticity is important when deciding what brands they choose to support. Human-led content that further enables trust – such as user-generated content and talking head videos – may well work hand in hand with some well-researched keywords. ![DSC04773](https://empower.agency/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC04773-200x200.jpg) > “Gen Z are turning to social media as a search engine instead of Google – but what does this mean for Empower’s clients? A social media strategy tailored towards this could potentially help optimise content – such as using specific hashtags and key words to boost content in the search algorithm.” Roxanna Vatandoust ## What next? 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