What is Social Search and What Does it Mean for Marketers

Why is Social Search on the rise?
How does Social Search work for brands?
How to generate Social Search-ready content

Did you know that TWO IN THREE Gen Z’ers (Adobe Express) have used TikTok as a search engine, as have over 40% of the USA? That’s right. We are rapidly moving away from “Hey, Google” and towards “Hey, TikTok”... But typing it (for now).

This behavioural shift has opened up a huge opportunity for marketers, and one that those leading the trend are sure to win. If social media is becoming the new Google, what's the #1 thing you need to succeed?

Content.

In the early days of search engines, SEO writers and strategists held the key. Today, it's content creators and influencers. The same entertaining, authentic, everyday people 69% of consumers trust more than brand advertising, and a third of Gen Zers have been influenced to purchase in the last 3 months.

But, we'll get to how creators can fuel your Social Search strategy in a moment.

First, let's break down why Social Search is on the rise

1. SHORT-FORM VIDEO IS MORE INFORMATIVE AND DIGESTIBLE

Thanks to the ever-growing presence of TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels on Meta our behaviour has firmly shifted towards consuming short-form video. We seem to have eight hours a day to spend on our phones but don’t have the time or attention span to read your article or watch your explainer video. Give it to me in 15 secs or less, plz.

2. CONSUMER FEEDBACK AND VALIDATION

Yes, Google has reviews. But social media has live feedback loops and validation from people you trust and know or are relatable. We all know the feeling when you are researching a restaurant on Instagram and one of your “cool” friends already follows it; you’re validated. Or, when a perfect stranger shows up on your For You page with a hot take you can relate to; you feel seen and understood.

3. IT'S MORE ACCURATE AND TAILORED TO THE USER

Around half of Gen Z and Millenials rely on their social algorithms to serve them the products and content they want. (According to Vogue Business and Archival’s recent study, well worth a read btw). Our algorithms get more powerful and precise at serving us content we like, based on our interactions and searches. We’re more likely to be inspired and discover something we love on social vs. Google.

Think about scanning an interior design Pinterest board for furniture vs. a Google search. Why not go straight to your content engine tailored to you?

All that said, there is still a time and a place for both. 44% of Millennials still refer to Google, and 29% of Gen Z. And, of course, not all search queries are perfectly answered via short-form video content.

However, for most industries and brands, social media is the leading source of inspiration simply because it’s highly visual, relatable and engaging.

So, how does Social Search work for brands?

The #1 difference between search engines and social search is the content. While Google ranks your website, eComm product pages and articles, social media is driven by short-form video.

Right now, on social... there is FAR less competition.

Appearing on TikTok and Instagram’s version of ‘page 1’ is significantly easier. With the right short-form video, you can significantly increase your brand’s discoverability - and generate a whole lotta great content in the meantime.

A Social Search 101 approach would be to start by adding:

1. Keywords! In your caption, script, text overlays and alt. image descriptions etc.
2. Hashtags. Adding up to 6 relevant hashtags can increase your reach. Emphasis on relevant.
3. Your contact info. Eg. ensure you tag your brand so the viewer can discover more about you.

Beyond the basics, there’s multiple ways to approach upping your social search game.

1. ALIGN SOCIAL SEARCH WITH YOUR SEO AND SEM STRATEGY

For most brands, your customers turn to Google and Social with the same questions. Having a Social Search strategy means you can capture those customers, wherever they are, with the content they prefer.

Say you’re a skincare brand promoting a product for dry skin. The same keywords driving customers to your eComm site can easily be applied to your social content. Instead of appearing in articles or product pages, those keywords are spoken in engaging and visual videos and added to the caption, text overlays and thumbnail.

Or, lean into the 'functional vs. inspirational' angle. Say you're an airline, your SEO keywords might focus on getting customers to book flights. Your Social Search strategy can inspire them with what it's like when they arrive. Eg. 'cheap flights to Mexico' vs. 'things to do in Mexico'.

Don’t have an SEO strategy? Start simple and use ChatGPT to generate a handful of relevant headlines, and turn those into topics for videos.

2. JUMP ON WHAT'S TRENDING

We all know trends are the driving force behind what performs on social. Especially TikTok - who have amazing tools to access trending hashtags, songs, creators and videos, and even search specific keywords for insights.

The trending hashtag tool alone is a game-changer. Not only can you filter top hashtags by industry, but you'll access the most popular videos using them, and analytics like; popularity over time, the age group a hashtag is popular with and their similar interests.

A quick search for the top hashtags = instant inspo for your Social Search strategy. It’s just a matter of finding what’s most relevant to your brand. That’s the fun part. TikTok has taken care of the hard part - knowing what audiences #love right now.

Align with what people are lovin’ = better chances of YOUR content being discovered.

How to generate Social Search-ready content

How you approach Social Search really depends on your brand.

But, what’s the one thing nearly every marketer has in common? The need to generate engaging, authentic social-first video content.

Enter… content creators.

A massive evolution in Creator Marketing is that a creator or influencer’s content is no longer tied to their audience. Every piece of content is now highly discoverable.

By marrying your Creator Marketing strategy with Social Search you’re increasing discoverability and adding a powerful layer to the already abundant benefits of building a community of storytellers to advocate for your brand.

Done well, you won’t just have a pool of authentic content, but how your customers discover it will feel more authentic too.

Think “I just discovered something” vs. “I was just served an ad”. What’s more powerful?

Here’s a quick example of how a TRIBE creator brought Social Search to life for Zenni Optical simply by aligning relevant hashtags and keywords in his caption and script.