Momtalk Maryland
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Momtalk Maryland
The Gen Z Perspective: Marketing Insights from a College Intern
Ever wonder what Gen Z really thinks about your social media presence? This eye-opening conversation between Claire Duarte and Emma, The Columbia Mom's first college intern, pulls back the curtain on the significant generational divide in digital marketing and social media usage.
Fresh from her freshman year at Salisbury University where she studies communications with a marketing minor, Emma offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on what makes Gen Z tick online. Her verdict? TikTok reigns supreme while Instagram Reels are decidedly "millennial." The authenticity gap between platforms becomes increasingly apparent as Emma explains why her generation posts so sparingly on Instagram compared to their millennial counterparts.
The discussion explores fascinating territory around content creation philosophies, with Emma emphasizing that nothing turns Gen Z away faster than obviously staged content pretending to be spontaneous. The conversation takes an especially illuminating turn when addressing social media burnout - having used these platforms since age 10, Emma describes the exhaustion of constant comparison that leads many in her generation to periodically delete apps altogether.
For business owners and marketers feeling increasingly disconnected from younger audiences, this conversation provides invaluable insights into creating content that actually resonates rather than repels. From understanding platform preferences to recognizing the supreme importance of authenticity, Claire and Emma bridge the generational digital divide in a way that's both entertaining and immensely practical.
Ready to rethink your digital marketing strategy through fresh eyes? Listen now and discover what your business might be missing when trying to connect with younger audiences.
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Hey friends and welcome to MomTalk Maryland. I'm your host, claire Duarte, founder of the Columbia Mom, and this is your spot for real conversations, local love and a whole lot of community, whether you're folding laundry, running errands or hiding in your car for some peace and quiet. Let's dive in. Let's do it. I lost track of how many episodes we are in now, but today we have with us my first intern. Hello. Go ahead and introduce yourself.
Speaker 3:My name is Emma. I'm an intern here at the Columbia Mom and I'm so happy to be here, and I've never done a podcast, so I'm a little bit nervous.
Speaker 1:First of all, we are so excited to have you Funny story. Well, you might not find it funny. I mean, it's just kind of a small world, right? I actually know your mom from being in the Business Women's Network, which is one of the networks that I joined, one of the networking groups that I joined when I first started my business.
Speaker 2:I didn't meet her like that day.
Speaker 1:But I've met her from doing different events for both Um. I run a marketing cohort that she and I are both in or um, and she approached me back in like December. She was like hey, do you um take summer interns? And um. You know, I was like yeah, um, a little.
Speaker 2:That's another episode of. Like you know, I don't not that I have this like whole formal program.
Speaker 1:But I did have a quote-unquote intern. She wasn't a college student, she was, you know, in her 30s, someone that I know from from when I was in college. Um, and I knew, after having that summer support last year, I was like I definitely know that I'm gonna want it again this year so anyways, when your mom approached me, I was like yeah absolutely so we had coffee and little backstory. Emma, uh, you just finished your freshman year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I go to Salisbury University, so I just finished my freshman year so exciting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you play soccer.
Speaker 3:Yes, I play soccer at Salisbury and I've played soccer since I was like three years old. That's amazing. Yeah, you know, I never asked you do.
Speaker 1:Other members of your group play soccer.
Speaker 3:My dad used to when he was younger. But my family, is very like baseball and hockey. So my mom is really unathletic. She doesn't have these words, that's okay. I mean, you know we can't.
Speaker 1:everybody can't be everything. Yes, you know what I mean. Yes, I'm like I think soccer has always been a huge suburban sport.
Speaker 3:I mean.
Speaker 1:Now it's kind of shifted into lacrosse, but growing up, for me too it was soccer. My dad actually lived, so this is a complete tangent my dad lived in England, for he's not from England but lived in England for like 20 years of his life, and football is like their life exactly, so my dad is a massive soccer fan. He's actually a Spurs fan. So if you know, you know, and he was a goalie.
Speaker 1:He played up until, like he honestly only stopped playing probably like five-ish years ago, so like well into his or just about to, when he was like about 60. Wow I hope that's, me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm sure it will be, I know. But my mom was probably like ready for him to stop around then, but like he would play year-round, yeah, indoor, outdoor, like all four seasons.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was a crazy man, but you know he kept him really fit. So, naturally, all and I'm one of five, all of us played soccer or made all of us, and then eventually, like you know, I always like my youngest sister, like when my parents saw that she would be on the soccer field. Like picking flowers, like okay, maybe this isn't your sport you know what I?
Speaker 3:mean Like in transition her to like dance and other things. Not for everyone. Not for everyone, right.
Speaker 2:But, anyway, so yeah, so you just finished your freshman year at Salisbury.
Speaker 1:So Emma actually started with us back in like January. We just, you know, and my thought process was like perfect, you know, I was like this is great to have a little extra support and other hands on deck. And I went back when, after I first met you since you know you're kind of brand new to the field you just also had just declared your major right, yeah, I just declared communications as my major, with the minor in marketing.
Speaker 1:Perfect, yeah, which was so like literally, when we had met, you had like just declared it yeah. And so you're obviously like brand new kind of like into the field, but like into your studies and things like that. So, um, and obviously what's crazy about marketing, you know, and degrees in general, is that it's so much has changed, Obviously, obviously, since I was in school, but like literally every two years.
Speaker 3:You know things are changing so quickly in this field in general.
Speaker 1:So I feel like on the academia level like it's gotta be, like I think from that lens like so much things in my degree is not in any of this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I find that interesting, um, but anyways, I'm excited for you to get kind of hopefully more up-to-date information. You know what I mean Trends and things like that, um, but information, you know, to me trying things like that. But yeah, so Emma was brought on to you know, obviously help us and with everything we do. And I first I was like, oh, I'll just have you kind of help me do things, and then I was like wait. So actually I sat down with my team member Ally and we developed kind of an intern training program which we had you kind of go through the spring, so that way when the summer did roll around, okay, and when you have a better chance of kind of jumping in which you have been able to do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's been so much easier now that I had all that training back in, like January, february, like I feel like I know so much more now and it's just like been really easy like a complete yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank God right, yes, so now some. Now I'm here basically like full time with us for the summer, Um and um. So when I told her she was going to be on the podcast, I didn't prep her at all and I didn't let her pre-screen the questions.
Speaker 2:Don't worry, they're not too bad.
Speaker 1:So you don't need to be terrified, but essentially I had to get the Gen Z view of this. So here's a few kind of like questions to kind of warm you up.
Speaker 3:So um it's kind of like a this or that sort of?
Speaker 1:uh well, most of them are. So my first question is TikTok or Instagram?
Speaker 3:Definitely TikTok.
Speaker 1:Ooh, I mean, I'm not surprised.
Speaker 2:I mean of course, like I'd probably still say that, too.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I get that um feed, post or story and I guess that's more specific to Instagram.
Speaker 3:I guess I would say stories, because they're not there forever and like I don't know, like some things. I just want to like post for a little bit and not for like ever.
Speaker 1:oh, okay, that's, that's a good lens. Yeah, that's a really good lens. Okay, uh, this be real. Is it still a thing or totally dead?
Speaker 3:Definitely not a thing. I think I was on be real for like a few months, like a year and a half ago, like, yeah, like for a little bit, and I liked it, but it just became a law and I didn't feel like doing it every day. That's what I felt. It's funny.
Speaker 1:I feel like some of my younger siblings who are like five and six years younger than me. I think they still do it.
Speaker 2:I don't know if it's that like, because they're kind of that they say we're millennials.
Speaker 1:You might be a millennial by the book, but you're like literally like a year and a half, like kind of like right on that gen z fence, so um anyways, I think for that reason I think they still kind of like it yeah, um, but I just kind of got sick of the notification me too. Up with it, me too and I don't know none of my friends are on it like I don't know.
Speaker 3:I don't think it's kind of dead right. Okay, that's well, that's good, good to know something. I don't want to missing anything, but I was like I don't need one more thing to do, definitely not.
Speaker 1:Um, wow, okay, I. I know my answer to this, so I'm definitely curious to get your the phrasing of it. It's not keep my item phrases. This is all chat cool or cringe facebook I do not like Facebook personally. Okay, as someone who, also has created a social media business. I would agree I have a love and hate relationship with Facebook Mainly because meta.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, sorry, that's not the main reason.
Speaker 1:Now that I'm running a business, I a meta.
Speaker 3:Drives me nuts, as you know, because we've had to log you in there and everything. Yes.
Speaker 1:Um yeah, facebook's a lot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and like my mom, she uses Facebook, like she loves Facebook, but she just like posts so many pictures and first of all, she'll never she'll post like the worst pictures of me. Oh no, and then I'll like find out by like one of my friends being like is this you? I'm like okay, great.
Speaker 1:Okay, great yeah.
Speaker 3:But I think it's just more of a like, not like older necessarily, but I just think you can say it, you can say it, you can say it you can, say it, you can say it, you can say it, you can say it, you can say it.
Speaker 1:You can say it, you can. I only use it for my personal use. I do have my posts go to Facebook, which I believe it goes but it goes to my like page that I create for the business. Admittedly, I don't. I haven't been pushing a lot of my business activities into growing Facebook at the moment, considering that Instagram is our biggest platform. Obviously it's an important platform because it's still linked with instagram etc. Etc. You know, but anyways, I yeah, long story short, I agree it's.
Speaker 1:It's mentally a lot for me um, okay, filters again, chat forms, these, but it says by the aesthetic, or try hard, like which one would I do? I think, just just meaning like the use of filters, people that use filters or if you see them, notice them Okay.
Speaker 3:I don't think filters are necessarily bad. Like I like a kind of more natural kind of filter. Like I'll use some kind of filters on my posts usually, but like some of the like over-the-top ones are just a lot and lot and like it just seems kind of like what are you doing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you ever part of the? Well, obviously I'm sure you were on social media, but it was a couple years ago. I want to say it was, yeah, probably the pandemic time, I think, when like filters were always a thing, but it was like a lot more of like the glittery ones and like did you ever use a bunch of those?
Speaker 3:Personally? No, like I, I would call it a natural. Like I don't even use filters a lot. Yeah, no same, not anymore.
Speaker 1:Like around that 2020 era, when a lot more of them came on the scene. I feel like and I know like a bunch of us moms are really guilty of like playing around with like the glittery one so yeah, so apologize.
Speaker 3:Like snapchat filters, like some of the funny ones, those are pretty funny those are funny, like I'll be like something those, my friends yeah, joke around like yeah but like when I'm posting on instagram, like it's like right now, different yeah, like it's.
Speaker 1:I think it's fun to be still like again. I don't have snapchat anymore. That should be one of the things on here.
Speaker 3:Actually let me go off book snapchat. Yeah, I love snapchat, I use snapchat. It's just like I don't snap a lot of people, but like my close friends, my boyfriend like, yeah, like that yeah, but.
Speaker 1:I like snapchat, okay, um all right, awesome. So now let's get into the meat and potatoes and stuff all right. So what's your honest first impression of my Instagram account?
Speaker 3:Your Instagram account. I mean, it's not necessarily geared towards people my age?
Speaker 1:Obviously yes.
Speaker 3:But like when I saw it, I was like this is something like my mom would like, Like this is something like that's helpful for like people like your age, like 20s, like stuff like that. And I thought it was very helpful. Like I like those kind of pages that kind of like guide you to like the events that are happening and like stuff like that. So like honestly, I've gotten some event ideas from your page. Like so I I always thought it was like helpful it's just not necessarily geared towards your age.
Speaker 3:Yeah but like for like people your age or a little bit younger, like I, can definitely see like, yeah, why they would be coming to you. Yeah, awesome, um, some of these questions are good.
Speaker 1:What's one thing millennials do on social that instantly gives you secondhand embarrassment?
Speaker 3:oh gosh, oh my god, I didn't think um. I feel like sometimes the captions that they put on their posts, like when we use so many emojis or it's so- over the top. That.
Speaker 1:I've definitely used. I've actually recently switched one of the formats or styles of the captions that I use.
Speaker 3:Because sometimes I'm just like oh my god, this is a lot. I mean, it's not a bad thing, it's just like I'm like ahhh okay.
Speaker 1:So funny. Well, and again, like I don't care because not all of these are geared literally about me kind of thing. But yeah, now I hear you Any other millennial cringy things?
Speaker 3:I don't know. Come back to me on that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, Ooh. Okay, this is interesting, but you haven't been following me for that long, necessarily and I also don't expect you to follow and see all of my content. That's not in your job description. What's the cringiest reel or story I've ever posted?
Speaker 3:first, of all I don't care, I really don't care I feel like I would need to like look like I don't know, like on the top of my head, like just open the page, just like scroll and just pick.
Speaker 1:No, we can come back to that one yeah I, I, I, I have plenty that I would self-submit for that so um, oh, okay, this is interesting. If you ran my account for a week, what would you change or do differently?
Speaker 3:I change I feel like, maybe, what would I change? I feel like maybe my gosh, these are hard, they are hard. What would I change? Maybe I would do not as much, because I feel like, with your company, you, you focus a lot on like Instagram, facebook, like so many platforms. Like maybe I would like for a week like just focus, like posting so much on Instagram, only like just one like on just one platform and see like how that does, yeah like I don't know, like that's interesting.
Speaker 1:I mean obviously the majority of what we do is Instagram focused. But I see where you're coming from and not to get off on a really off tangent, but this kind of helps take you and the rest of us behind the curtain a little bit. One of my goals this year, when I sat down with my business consultant, was like when I was looking at my 2025 goals, I listed all this stuff out to him and we went through all these pieces together, right, and what he basically came up with were like the two things, kind of the two pillars of my 2025 roadmap were um, were sales and content, and content meaning like Instagram, essentially Like those are and sales again, like you in order to survive in any business, you have to and need to have sales, and there's so much more that goes into that.
Speaker 1:But with Instagram, it's kind of like maintaining good and high level content, whether that's our partnerships, whether that's our evergreen content and things like that. So it's kind of interesting that you say that and you know, obviously, you know it's it's great to kind of like keep hearing things like that kind of remind us because those it's kind of that's the roots of who we are how we got started.
Speaker 2:We started with Instagram content before anything else.
Speaker 1:So, um, you know, and it's kind of like one of those things of like, yeah, as we create and do other things like the blogs and the podcast and all these other things like making sure it's not. It's never taking us away from that, and I mean that's. But that's the interesting thing about social media and marketing is that platforms are always changing and always evolving. So if we, you know, for some reason, like I don't know, my Instagram Instagram could shut down tomorrow. We saw it happen with TikTok.
Speaker 1:Yeah, even though it's back question mark. It's so confusing For now. For now, I know it's very odd Part of the reason why I haven't put my efforts into that platform. Yeah, part of the reason why I haven't put my efforts into that platform. Yeah, I know, I know I you can grow really quickly over there again. But going back to your point of like, I'm just trying to focus, like focus on these platforms yeah, it's already these platforms are already more than enough work for me.
Speaker 1:yeah, let alone another, because I also feel like the type, the way that I do my posts on Instagram is not what I would post on TikTok. Yeah, not that I wouldn't grow over there.
Speaker 3:I just think you need to post differently it's also geared towards like a different kind of community that I feel like you're going to see like on Instagram or Facebook, like stuff like that. Right, exactly so.
Speaker 1:I so that and I just don't have the bandwidth to create a very different type of video.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what I mean. So for a platform that could get shut down again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know. I mean, there's obviously validity to the people that have grown their platforms and then you can still like, even if the the, the platform shuts down and still, you can still say I grew, you know, grew it to this size, and that's credible.
Speaker 2:You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean, but, like I said, I'm not spending my energy on that right now. Yeah, um, okay, this is interesting. What trends do you think are so Gen Z and what ones feel millennial, trying too hard.
Speaker 3:Um, I feel like the like day in my, my life, stuff like that is like Gen Z, like a lot of like my friends do those, or like outfit of the day yeah, I feel like that's like Gen Z, but like I feel like. Well, first of all, instagram reels are kind of given like millennial they are. They are no like not hating on Instagram reels like, but like that's kind of like more millennial, like the trends on there. And also like the trends on there you tend to see like are a little bit behind.
Speaker 3:Yes, they are, they are.
Speaker 1:I mean again pros and cons, right. Like a lot of big trends are often on TikTok. And a lot of those you know will come over to Instagram. It often on TikTok and a lot of those you know will come over to Instagram. It's like it's not that certain trends don't translate, it's just I don't have, I don't know how to give the best example. It's just like some things can and will do just better on TikTok because of the audience over.
Speaker 2:So um yeah no.
Speaker 1:I hear you Um okay.
Speaker 3:What.
Speaker 1:Oh, I guess on the same breath, Do you think? Do you think reels are cool? Sorry, or are they? Or are they just our generation's sad attempt to stay relevant on TikTok?
Speaker 3:Um, I'm gonna have to lean more towards that.
Speaker 1:I was like wow, that really just answered it for us.
Speaker 3:Like nothing against it. Again, it's just like for, like my generation, like it's I. We don't necessarily say like, oh, that's cool, but like, but again. Like my, like my parents, like they don't have tiktok, like they're on instagram reels like. So I feel like again, it's just like who you're trying to like target right. Like you're not trying to target like me and like no, like my age group necessarily so like for me personally.
Speaker 1:Like I'm not on instagram reels like I'm on tiktok right, right again just who you're trying to reach well, and that tells you how much you've learned about marketing so far because then again that also, when I quickly realized, I mean, look, if you go on TikTok you will find a Club B mom account. Is she active? No, thank God, you can't see my search history, because that is active, that is very active. Unfortunately, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:But um but no, I quickly realized, realized, like, okay, like, and I was making some content over there. Again, it looked very different than I think. With TikTok it's a little less curated, whereas not that I would say this stuff on Instagram is curated and fake. It's just because I fully believe that it's not. But every content creator is a little bit different with that. But it's just created a little bit differently, where the TikTok, I think, just feels a little bit more raw, real, obviously they're so edited. They're both edited. You know what I mean. It's just different.
Speaker 1:But what was I saying? No, that's the thing I quickly realized was that, um, when I was creating TikTok content, I quickly realized it was okay, people that are seeing this are not the businesses that I'm necessarily trying to reach and obviously for people that you know, watch our content, like, know that like as a business, I'm community facing but backend business to businesses. So that kind of makes my marketing strategy a little bit more complicated, because the content that I'm creating specifically on like, Instagram and and or check off when it was, was for the community so I'm not creating those pieces of?
Speaker 1:content for businesses to see, necessarily.
Speaker 1:But I quickly realized that, okay, it does go back to you who your target audience is yeah and I was like you know, my target audience isn't necessary, even though there are a lot of millennials on tick tock, like the business owners that I'm also trying to potentially showcase um and or get their attention if they see my performing, my content, performing well aren't on TikTok. So that's why I also made that decision. I was like amidst all the other like you know, this is years ago rumor mill about TikTok which ended up being true right, um, that. That fueled all my reasons behind that and I was like I'm just gonna focus on who my target audience is. And again, that goes into why I joined the BWN the chamber Chamber, because I was like okay, I need to go where the businesses are.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. That makes sense, yeah.
Speaker 1:Sorry, tangent, where was I? Okay, that was a funny question. I feel like a lot of these questions are sort of rephrased in the same way. But okay, what kind of content?
Speaker 3:okay, actually no, this is good.
Speaker 1:What kind of influence or content do you love? Verse? What can you absolutely not stand?
Speaker 3:I like the content that's like real, like like when I can tell someone is like not being like fake or like trying too hard and just being like their real self and like you know, maybe like just being honest with, like really what's going on in their life. Like that's the stuff that I like when someone's like, when I can tell that someone is like trying too hard or like purposely, like set the camera up and like yeah like it was like oh, I just woke up and they're like oh right, oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:No, you did not just wake up, like, don't lie, like that.
Speaker 2:Right, right, that's the stuff that I don't like.
Speaker 3:I like to see things that are real yeah.
Speaker 1:I totally agree. You know what's funny? You have suggested this and you still do it. I struggle with actually creating a day in the life, probably also because my life is so busy. I do eventually want to do one, but God bless all of you that do them, because I will start the morning and I'll start to do it and then, after like nine, ten o'clock, I just forget no, I've done that busy and I'm like oh my god, I forgot.
Speaker 1:Because the reality is like, you have to, because it's like, and for some, of the people. Like I know, you have a tripod set up somewhere while you're folding your laundry like this is a natural and organic so the day in life is just like actual chaos for me and, like you, almost don't want to see all of that but I think that's what people want to see like I want to see like the real stuff, like even if it's like a busy chaotic day, just like that as opposed to, I mean, I do agree.
Speaker 1:I do love the behind-the-scenes look where like yeah clearly it is a tripod set up because you can kind of see the person like running around our kitchen or whatever. But like my tripods up here, I'm just trying to like finish something you know, I mean like so mentally I'm like I never think steps ahead. Yeah, that, but like literally I think in order for me to do a day in the life, I'm going to have to block it off my calendar not schedule a lot of stuff so that I can remember.
Speaker 1:I mean, my phone is always on me, that's not the issue, it's just remembering to like every little thing.
Speaker 3:Kind of like set reminders in your phone Literally Every hour.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, the girls will do it like getting in and out of their car car. I'm like, oh my god, like how do you do this? Like I struggle with that, but I agree I still like them. But reality is like. I mean, I don't think they're easy to create no, definitely not easy.
Speaker 3:But like, I feel like maybe you start with picking a day where like you don't have that much going on, just to like get in the hang of it.
Speaker 1:I know make them look like just woke up. I have one call like look at me working with the three things on my list like that's how it's going to end up being done. It'll be real but like fake at the same time. It'll be it'll be curating the sense that I planned it out ahead of time, so that way I wasn't overwhelmed as crap like that's what it would be. Yeah, oh, okay, this is relevant. Do you think being an influencer is still a dream job for Gen Z, or is it overhyped?
Speaker 3:I feel like I feel like in the middle, like it's like I feel like it would be a good job because it's you kind of you get to create your own hours kind of thing. Like a lot of people like want jobs, like that. But it's also like like there's so many influencers. Now I feel like that. It's like getting overhyped in that kind of way. It's like it's so hard to like blow up, like it's so hard to like become that top influencer because there's so many right.
Speaker 3:So it's like is it really like a realistic kind of job?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I feel like it'd be a fun job, a good job to have right but I don't know, yeah, I mean that is kind of when you paint that we could think about it like for someone who was starting like right now anybody.
Speaker 2:I mean, I truly believe anybody can anybody can do this, anybody can grow.
Speaker 1:The reality is, you know, because there's a, there's an audience for everybody, yeah right, as we know, because there's like people that like just want to like sit there and build Legos.
Speaker 1:There's an audience for everybody, and we all know accounts that were definitely not didn't exist two or three years ago, that still have made it into the millions. You know what I mean. So it's just like there is an audience for everybody. But it is all about being. I think if you're very specific in what you are doing, that's what helps you set yourself apart and be different.
Speaker 1:You know if you're just another makeup artist like, okay, cool, there's literally thousands. So it's like what's going to make you different? And how are you going to, if your goal is to rise to, like Mikaela, levels, like, how are you going to stand out?
Speaker 3:I feel like that's the hard part, is like setting yourself apart and like not many people can do that, I feel like that's right, you have to, I mean it can't be done.
Speaker 1:It's just all about, like you know, kind of just go back to like being yourself, being really creative. You would have to be creating completely different style. Yeah, reels, and yeah, so I agree. Yeah, um, what's a business or brand on social that nails it for gen z and why?
Speaker 3:um, honestly like duolingo on tiktok is so funny yeah, I always see them in, like the comment sections and, like I just know, it's like a 19 or 20 year old behind the scenes commenting. It's really funny comments. So that's a brand that knows what they're doing. They know how to reach their audience.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, and it's hysterical, I think, and that's actually a trend that we're seeing more of. Remember, last week, you and I were looking at threads, for instance. I think threads is actually picking up more steam recently, but Wendy's and Chili's Wendy's specifically cracks me up. It's hysterical, like in stitches. And I think these businesses are realizing the value of hiring.
Speaker 1:Gen Z whether you're in college or those new grads to be their social media managers and look what it's doing because, the reality is the their their quote-unquote target population is getting younger as the execs are getting older yeah, right and so they realize, in order to stay relevant, this is what you need to do yeah, yeah, and like definitely it's.
Speaker 3:Like it's making people laugh, like I feel like that's a good thing, like if you can make people like laugh, then you're gonna be successful because like that's all people want to do, right, like find something funny and like it's happy. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:I know well and okay, here's actually a side question from that and, um, what content do you think hits with you with which I don't know if memorable is the right word or like I guess like hits you harder, essentially, either content that's funny or content that's emotional, kind of like that hits you like in your soul a little bit like what you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like I'm leaning towards more like the funny stuff because, like sometimes, like after a long day and I'm like scrolling on TikTok, I don't really want to see like the overly emotional stuff that's gonna like make me like sad or like yeah, like have those kind of feelings, because sometimes I'm just like I want to like scroll on TikTok and like happening, right, you know, like I don't, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I, I agree and I, I think for me, like I, I love that too, I mean I think we all go through phases, right, sometimes we're just like you know, going through tough times in life or just whatever different stresses, and sometimes when we're scrolling, we're we may be searching for something like that or subtly or subconsciously, but I feel like, yeah, definitely for me too.
Speaker 1:I feel like I need to laugh because so much of life is already hard and stressful. That, like you know I mean anything about my kids will make me, you know, of course, like cry on the dot.
Speaker 1:So I'm like okay, like like yes, I know that they're only going to be like this young for this minute, but please, I'm not ready for a cry session, let's just pretend like that doesn't exist so I can keep laughing. It's funny because, going back to being a creator, I'm trying to find this weird line of I like to be funny and I like to be silly and trying to keep bringing my personality into the brand a little bit.
Speaker 2:Because, I am the brand brand.
Speaker 1:I am the personality question mark, um, while still like creating meaningful, helpful content and things like that. Um, so it is. It's a funny line to walk because I'm like well, I don't, I'm not strictly like a comedy creator, like like definitely not, absolutely not, but just like I am NOT trying to bring myself as that, because there's obviously like, for instance, like plenty of like mom, motherhood creators that you know create mostly like funny sarcastic on that.
Speaker 3:I love that I go to their page for that reason.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean and I'm not trying to brand myself like that, but every now and then, if it's relatable with what I'm doing and talking about, I try. I try to do it in a lens that is maybe a little funny, or attempt I make attempts, attempts are made. Um, if a business feels too millennial, is that a red flag for Gen Z?
Speaker 3:Like a little bit, yeah, Like it's just like if it feels like it's not anywhere geared toward like Gen Z and it's like very focused on like again things that like millennials would like. Then I kind of just like, don't really bother with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to think of an example.
Speaker 1:I know I feel like that's a hard question, but I know what they're asking and I guess it's probably asking like what their brand looks like on social media as opposed to like their storefront or something.
Speaker 1:You know because, like if you're searching for them or looking at them, and you feel like they're not, or at least the way that I perceive it. Obviously I am a millennial, but like if I again was a Gen Z, because I feel this way too, because if it's more of like the older generation, like a Gen X or boomer, and you're not posting content the way that I would like to see it, I do feel a little turned off.
Speaker 3:So I think it's that same concept. Yeah Right, yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it is harder to find examples specifically, but I know what you're feeling. Yeah, um, hmm, this is a hard one. What's one millennial trend you'd bring back or admit to secretly liking? Oh gosh.
Speaker 3:Oh no.
Speaker 1:That is a hard one.
Speaker 3:Well, because I feel like sometimes, like millennials, will take trends.
Speaker 1:Not from Gen Z, but we kind of share it.
Speaker 3:So I don't know if there's specific millennial trends that I could think of. I know, Right?
Speaker 1:I agree, that is so hard and specific. I mean, the only way that I could think about it is when millennials are maybe trying to do some of the Gen Z dancing, one kind of thing, maybe in that lens they're not like a good dancer.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:There are plenty of millennials that are fantastic dancers that are gonna kill it yeah, you know what I mean. And then that you're like, oh shit, to do it clean. You know what I mean. But, um, yeah, that was a hard one. Yeah, um, okay, this is good. Do you ever feel like gen z has social media burnout?
Speaker 3:yeah, I mean for myself. Like sometimes I'll like be scrolling and I'm just like I need to like take a break, or like I've like deleted instagram for a little bit just to like, because I know like if it's there I'm going to use it. But like, yeah, sometimes I just like don't want to be like looking at everyone else's like perfect lives or like they're in the Bahamas and I'm like stuck in Maryland right, I don't want to have to like, look at that all day, so like I've deleted Instagram.
Speaker 3:Yeah and like give myself like a week or two, because I'm just. I can't. That makes sense, and then you know, I'll bring it back.
Speaker 1:Bring it back right? Yeah, no, I, I, I can imagine, because, like you kind kind of grew up on it, your lives have been surrounded by it.
Speaker 3:I've had that since I was 10 and I'm 19. That's a long time.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And sometimes I feel like on social media you find yourself comparing your life to others and that just gets exhausting at a point and I can't do it sometimes.
Speaker 1:I mean, okay, this is my assumption. I mean I feel like the comparison game feels a thousand times worse on Instagram than tick-tock.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah because, like, people are posting like, because people post like what they want everyone else to see. So if they're posting like when they're at the beach or when they're like doing something super fun, and it's like, why am I doing that?
Speaker 1:like right, I know. Like what is my life like right, yeah, I know, yeah, it's fun. I think it's in a way again Just because the way that people create content on tip talk is just a little bit different. It feels a little bit more like, like light, yeah, like. Yeah, obviously funnier, quicker, a little bit more like off like light yeah, like, yeah obviously funnier, quicker, um a little bit more, just like a little bit less edited, but also in ways more edited.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean yeah um like less filters.
Speaker 1:I feel like, yeah, but a lot more like talking. Yeah, you know what I mean. So, um, there is a level of like. I feel like there's a little bit more authenticity. Um to TikTok, but I, yeah, I definitely feel the Instagram um comparison heavier there, for sure. Um, what's the biggest difference between how you and your friends use Instagram versus how you see me or other millennials use it?
Speaker 3:I feel like we'll get with the Instagram reels, like we don't really use Instagram reels, but also kind of just like like when I I don't post a lot, like me and my friends, like we don't post a lot, like usually, like I'll only post when a special occasion comes up, or like I took like a really good picture, like something like that, like when I look at you, like obviously you're a business though, so you post a lot, but even my mom and her friends they post a lot.
Speaker 3:But it's kind of like just walking my dog in the park Whenever they want, kind of thing.
Speaker 1:Sure do.
Speaker 3:That's not a bad thing. But I feel like Gen Z kind of takes Instagram maybe more seriously in a way that like they only, we only post on. Like when something like cool happens, like a big occasion, like I'm like at the beach and I take like really good pictures of the beach, like that I'll post, but then I probably won't post for like three more months, yeah, yeah no doubt, but I think that also makes sense from like.
Speaker 1:I don't mean the way that you were raised in the way that like, so you were raised with slash on social media to a degree. So it's like you know, I feel like, in a way, you guys have probably developed a little bit more boundaries and privacy with it, whereas like Melinda's, we were like we're going to just vomit our lives all over this app and be like cause.
Speaker 2:we're already grown, so we can.
Speaker 1:We can put whatever we want on here. So I guess you know there's probably some healthy boundaries there that are in place. What's one thing millennials actually get right on social media?
Speaker 3:I feel like that's a hard one, not that you guys don't get anything right.
Speaker 1:Right, I know, I think it's hard when you keep throwing millennials into their own little bucket.
Speaker 3:I feel like I actually don't know. I can't think Well, we show up, we do show up, we are content. Yeah, you make the content and I think the humor is good. Most of the time it's all parenting humor. That's really because all of us millennials. We're parents you know or?
Speaker 1:like 99% of us right, are parents, so that's just where you know where our lives are. Yeah, but like you've made your own circle.
Speaker 3:Like you know people always hate on millennials, but you guys have each other the content that you're making. Obviously people are finding it helpful, funny, good content. I think that's a good thing.
Speaker 1:It's tempting to be funny.
Speaker 2:That's hearsay.
Speaker 1:Those questions weren't too, weren't too terrible.
Speaker 3:No, right, yeah, not too bad, I just like some of them. I just could not think on top of my head.
Speaker 1:Well, I wouldn't either Like being able to know specific trends off the top of my head, yeah, no, okay, well, final question then Like what? This is not related to that. What made you want to work for me or work for an influencer? I don't know if you had in your mind like oh, I want to work for an influencer, or, like, I just want a job in marketing, blah, blah blah. But like I was, kind of curious about that.
Speaker 3:Well, like at first I didn't really know like who you were and like your brand and like the more that I like I would like look at your website, look at your Instagram page and I was kind of like this seems like really cool, like this is like helpful, like people you know are coming here for like tips and tricks, like mom hacks, like stuff like that and I was like I did want a job in kind of marketing and I was like and then you know when I call like had a phone call with you, we met.
Speaker 1:I was like you know.
Speaker 3:Claire seems so nice, like this place seems perfect and like absolutely not. I've just learned like so much here and like that's what I wanted. Like I didn't want to be like in my in a bubble, like doing like one thing, like I wanted to be able to learn everything and like when I was talking to you about that, like you were very like yes, like let's do that. Like and you taught me like so many things.
Speaker 3:Like that, if I want to work for like a big agency kind of thing right, I'll be able to like know so many things and not just one thing, right, and that's kind of what like drew me to your company well, and that's again.
Speaker 1:It's kind of, like the blessing of cares is being this owner with multiple different platforms is we, because we are on different platforms with different types of content that require different type of work skill sets.
Speaker 3:Essentially you know what?
Speaker 1:I mean so like blog writing is very different than caption writing, verse, you know, creating podcast material and filming and editing and our email newsletterletters like there's so many different things but, I, remember, like when I brought you on, I was like, okay, like you know, um, because I still didn't know, like, what area I wanted you to fully support us in, and since you were so new, I was like, okay, well, I think it'd be best to just train you in all the areas, because that way we can find out where your skill set actually kind of lies, what areas your soul more interested in.
Speaker 1:And ironically, I remember specifically and I asked you if you could tell me what areas that you like weren't interested and you said Blog ready. Yeah, ironically, that's like one of your strongest, yeah.
Speaker 3:Isn't that funny, and I remember just telling her.
Speaker 1:I was like here's thing and I'm gonna be, no-transcript, but those multiple clients. You're just doing blog writing or you're just doing Instagram. So from that mindset it is kind of good to kind of learn all those different things. Blah, blah, blah, blah I mean now you're kind of doing it obviously in-house for us, which is super helpful, but um well, on that note, thank you so much for being brave and tackling your first podcast with us, and putting us in the gen z hot seat, if you may, um, but we're so excited to have you, emma, we can't wait to see keep getting your gen z thoughts on how we can keep creating better content here.
Speaker 3:So thank you for having me. This was like so fun, like I was so nervous, but like it was easy.
Speaker 1:I told you it's funny ever since we launched last week, you know, I and I got a lot of like awesome warm welcomes from friends and other people. They're like gotta have you on there like oh no.
Speaker 3:I'm so here. Guys like, podcasting is actually so easy, like you know. Just sit here and talk. It's easier than you think you can do it. If I can do it, you can do it.
Speaker 1:That's right. It's like literally so easy. I mean, there's some like I mean not all. I I had a few questions prepared, but most of the time I don't have much prepared. We just kind of roll with it. I like I have a general topic, yeah, um. Well, okay, maybe maybe preface. You know, obviously for other topics in the future I'll probably have more things a little bit structured, but whatever, well, anyways, cheers to that and more to come. Yeah, yay, sounds good. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mom Talk, maryland. If you loved it, leave a review, share it with a friend or tag me at thecolumbiamom on Instagram. I'd love to hear what you think and don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep showing up, keep supporting local and keep being the incredible mom, woman, human that you are.