It’s very interesting news when a big Google executive said at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2022 event held on July 11-13 that the popular short video social media platform TikTok has not only affected YouTube, which is Google’s official video uploading platform, but also affected Google’s core services (Core Google services) such as Google Search and Google Map. What happened? Let’s see!
Millennials Use TikTok and Instagram to Find What They Want Instead of Google
Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s Senior Vice President of Knowledge & Information, spoke about the future of Google products and the application of AI.
It presents data on the evolution of search, showing that new generations of internet users, or Generation Z, or internet users aged 18-24, are increasingly turning to applications like Instagram or TikTok for search instead of Google Search and Google Maps.
“Continuing our studies, we have found that new internet users do not have the same expectations and mindsets that we are used to.”
He also added that their questions are completely different because when searching for information, they do not type in keywords directly, but rather search continuously to find new information and immerse themselves in it.
“In our study, 40% of millennials, when they want to find a place to eat lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Google Search, but instead turn to TikTok or Instagram.”
The numbers may sound shocking, but they are based on research conducted among internet users aged 18-24 in the United States. Mr. Raghavan also said that millennials are interested in “visually rich forms” of searching, or searches that provide more than just a place to eat. This could mean reviews of the food, cool photo spots or the history of the restaurant to help them make a decision.
But in the end, it’s not a shock because Google itself has developed features and display results on the search page to better meet these needs, such as developing a 3D mode on Google Maps to give users a more realistic experience when searching for places, including developing it to the point where it can be used through AR glasses, as well as developing the arrangement of videos on Tiktok on Google’s SERPs page as well, so that users can find the most relevant results when searching using the Google Search tool.
So, to sum it up, the importance of using Google has not diminished at all. It’s just that other platforms are playing a bigger role, but only for certain groups of users. Because older users may not even be able to imagine how to search for information and places on TikTok and Instagram.
How does this affect online marketing?
Of course, the changing needs of users will have a direct impact on marketing. Because the main purpose of online marketing is to make the target group or interested customers aware of the existence of our brand or business. These statistics or numbers allow you to market more intelligently on the internet. For example, if your business focuses on trading with teenagers aged around 18-24 years, your marketing may focus on Social Media Marketing or SMM, resulting in more sales and profits. In addition to studying other factors such as the interests of people in this age group, it will allow us to create quality content that reaches this group of people more precisely.
However, comprehensive marketing can create more opportunities for success for your business, especially in the borderless world of the Internet. Whether it’s SEO (Search Engines Optimization), advertising on Google Ads, or SMM (Social Media Marketing), all of these things create brand awareness for your products and services among internet users.
