How Does Gen Z Use LinkedIn, and What Types of Content Resonate?

Editor’s note. In a previous post, we explored best practices for marketing to Gen Z. In this post, we concentrate our focus on Gen Z and LinkedIn. We’ll explore the preferences, traits and values Gen Z brings to LinkedIn, as well as their engagement trends on the platform. You’ll learn how and why Gen Zers are most likely to use LinkedIn, as well as the types of content they’re most likely to consume. Finally, in our last post, we provided details on the best ways to make your brand stand out with this audience on LinkedIn.

Gen Z is the fastest-growing global audience demographic on LinkedIn. Soon, Gen Z will become the largest generation of consumers, currently accounting for $143 billion in direct spending.

The goal of this post is to use our latest data to inform your marketing efforts and better equip you to reach and engage an audience that’s vital for long-term growth. Let’s dive in. 

How Do Gen Zers Across the World Feel about LinkedIn?

Gen Zers on LinkedIn generally think of the platform as trustworthy. That is, they trust the LinkedIn brand, they feel safe posting and interacting on the site, and they see the content shared with them as relevant.

They also see benefits in the business-related content being posted on LinkedIn: 80% of Gen Zers say they’re interested in following more companies and organizations on LinkedIn; 75% say that companies and organizations post valuable content on their LinkedIn Pages.

For social media activities related to networking, learning, and research, Gen Zers prefer LinkedIn over other channels.

Gen Z’ers on Linkedin are Ambitious, Yet Socially Conscious

Gen Z uses LinkedIn to fuel their careers. Compared to their peers, Gen Z is more focused on their career and their industry on LinkedIn. Gen Z wants to be successful (73%); they want to be financially secure (72%); they want to learn new skills (74%). And they’re willing to invest time on weekends to achieve those goals. 

Gen Zers are tech-savvy and research-oriented. Compared to the same generation on other platforms, Gen Zers on LinkedIn have a strong entrepreneurial mindset and are more likely to be interested in topics such as finance, investments, and business.

Gen Z members who double as LinkedIn members are also wealthier than those on other platforms.

Yet, Gen Zers are also tuned into the big picture. In addition to cultivating a growth mindset, they also value transparency and authenticity and want to be part of something larger than themselves. Gen Zers advocate for equal rights and social justice. They like to know what’s going on in the world around them, and they’re interested in other countries and cultures. 

Gen Z Members Are Highly Focused on Their Careers and Industries

Compared to the overall sample of LinkedIn members, Gen Z has higher industry engagement as well as more career activity. They're more likely to view and participate in LinkedIn Groups pertinent to their job. They're also more likely to view job openings and research companies. These findings underscore the importance of cultivating a strong employer brand on the platform.

The most-followed Pages among this cohort also reflect a keen interest in staying on top of industry trends. Large technology brands and business publishers make up a majority of the list.

Gen Z Global Engagement on LinkedIn Is Higher Than Ever

As more Gen Z members leverage LinkedIn to consume, share, and create content, the demographic’s engagement on LinkedIn exponentially increased. In fact, engagement – as measured by likes, clicks, comments, and shares – is 2.7x higher than it was at the start of 2020.

Different generations engage with LinkedIn Learning in different ways. Gen Z is unique in that they focus primarily on hard skills and prefer to do their learning on weekends. Like millennials, they prefer to do their learning via mobile devices.

Because growth and learning are among the top goals and values of Gen Z, marketers on LinkedIn should  know Gen Z’s top current skills, along with which skills are gaining popularity.

What Content Resonates with Gen Z on LinkedIn?

Gen Z consumes, engages with, and creates content differently than other generations. On LinkedIn, Gen Zers are more likely than others to follow influencers like Melinda Gates, Bill Gates, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Weiner, and Arianna Huffington. 

As evidenced by the skills that interest them, Gen Zers are interested in content that can teach them how to become skilled multi-taskers, engaging presenters, and better digital marketers. Articles about volunteering are also more popular among gen Zers than others. 

The types of content that resonate with Gen Zers also varies by which continent they call home. In North America and Latin America, for instance, Gen Zers are interested in employee well-being, future job outlook, and social causes. Gen Zers in EMEA are more likely to be interested in articles about COVID-19 news, career development, and business. Gen Zers in APAC are reading articles about workplace trends and supplemental learning on LinkedIn. 

Stay in touch with our latest research on Gen Z and download the full infographic.