Hypetap Intelligence’s new “Talkin’ to Your Generation” report, released this month, examines how different Australian age groups interact with influencer content across major platforms and highlights distinct motivational patterns for each generation.
The study assessed over 10,000 influencer profiles with strong Australian audiences, categorizing consumers into Gen Z (13-24), Millennials (25-44), Gen X (45-64), and Boomers (65+).
“Instinctively, we knew that each generation engages with social media differently; however, this new data enables us to precisely map these preferences, from Gen Z’s preference for laugh-out-loud entertainment to Boomers’ trust in influencers for financial advice and news,” says Dr. Melissa Gray, Lead Data Scientist at Hypetap.
Gen Z Focuses on Entertainment and Identity Formation
The report finds Gen Z’s social media engagement divides sharply by platform. On TikTok, this demographic overwhelmingly prioritizes entertainment, with 90% of their most-followed creators falling into comedy and entertainment categories.
Creators such as Millie Ford, known for satirical impersonations of Australian personas, exemplify the type of relatable humor that resonates with this audience segment.
On Instagram, Gen Z’s behavior shifts toward identity development, with 60% of their top followed accounts being beauty and fashion creators. Chloe Morello’s polished tutorials represent the aspirational content that attracts this demographic on the platform.
Millennials Seek Practical Solutions
Millennials display more functional social media usage patterns. On Instagram, 65% of their top influencers operate in parenting, food, and home and garden categories, indicating motivation to find practical advice for daily challenges.
Recipe developer Nagi Maehashi’s Recipe Tin Eats represents the practical, solution-oriented content that engages this demographic.
Unlike Gen Z, millennials on TikTok seek content that combines entertainment with educational value, showing a preference for what the report terms “edutainment” formats.
Gen X Values Expertise
Gen X users show interest in authoritative content, with 25% of their top influencers working in news, politics, and finance. This suggests they view social platforms as a source of trusted information and expertise.
Financial expert Victoria Devine, host of the “She’s on the Money” podcast, exemplifies the expertise-driven content that resonates with this demographic.
Boomers Discover New Passions
The study challenges assumptions about older demographics’ platform usage, showing that Boomers actively engage with Instagram and TikTok for discovery and inspiration, particularly for leisure activities.
Travel content accounts for 40% of Boomers’ top influencer follows, with food content accounting for another 25%. Accounts like Nas Adventures, featuring a middle-aged Australian couple sharing travel experiences, align with this demographic’s interest in aspirational leisure content.
Implications for Marketers
Hypetap’s report recommends marketers move beyond basic demographic targeting to understand content category preferences by generation and platform.
“This intelligence is crucial for CMOs to position their brands for growth,” says Hypetap Managing Director, Bryce Coombe. “It empowers them to move beyond a simplistic, age-based approach and design campaigns that align with the specific content motivations of their target consumers.”
Bryce Coombe
The research highlights that content strategy should adapt to platform-specific expectations, with recognition that a single approach won’t work across all platforms.
“The ‘Talkin’ to Your Generation’ report ensures brands will achieve an unfair share of the attention economy by connecting with audiences on a much deeper, more relevant level,” Coombe explains.
For brands targeting Gen X and Boomer demographics, the report suggests emphasizing expertise and credibility in influencer partnerships.
“For CMOs, growth will come from moving beyond broad demographic labels and investing in influencer strategies that reflect the real motivations of each generation. The brands that act on these insights will not only capture attention but also build lasting relevance and trust with their audiences,” Coombe says.
The report also notes marketers should remain open to unexpected content categories and audience behaviors, particularly challenging assumptions about which age groups use specific platforms.
Image credit: Hypetap The full report is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Hypetap Intelligence’s new “Talkin’ to Your Generation” report, released this month, examines how different Australian age groups interact with influencer content across major platforms and highlights distinct motivational patterns for each generation.
The study assessed over 10,000 influencer profiles with strong Australian audiences, categorizing consumers into Gen Z (13-24), Millennials (25-44), Gen X (45-64), and Boomers (65+).
“Instinctively, we knew that each generation engages with social media differently; however, this new data enables us to precisely map these preferences, from Gen Z’s preference for laugh-out-loud entertainment to Boomers’ trust in influencers for financial advice and news,” says Dr. Melissa Gray, Lead Data Scientist at Hypetap.
Gen Z Focuses on Entertainment and Identity Formation
The report finds Gen Z’s social media engagement divides sharply by platform. On TikTok, this demographic overwhelmingly prioritizes entertainment, with 90% of their most-followed creators falling into comedy and entertainment categories.
Creators such as Millie Ford, known for satirical impersonations of Australian personas, exemplify the type of relatable humor that resonates with this audience segment.
On Instagram, Gen Z’s behavior shifts toward identity development, with 60% of their top followed accounts being beauty and fashion creators. Chloe Morello’s polished tutorials represent the aspirational content that attracts this demographic on the platform.
Millennials Seek Practical Solutions
Millennials display more functional social media usage patterns. On Instagram, 65% of their top influencers operate in parenting, food, and home and garden categories, indicating motivation to find practical advice for daily challenges.
Recipe developer Nagi Maehashi’s Recipe Tin Eats represents the practical, solution-oriented content that engages this demographic.
Unlike Gen Z, millennials on TikTok seek content that combines entertainment with educational value, showing a preference for what the report terms “edutainment” formats.
Gen X Values Expertise
Gen X users show interest in authoritative content, with 25% of their top influencers working in news, politics, and finance. This suggests they view social platforms as a source of trusted information and expertise.
Financial expert Victoria Devine, host of the “She’s on the Money” podcast, exemplifies the expertise-driven content that resonates with this demographic.
Boomers Discover New Passions
The study challenges assumptions about older demographics’ platform usage, showing that Boomers actively engage with Instagram and TikTok for discovery and inspiration, particularly for leisure activities.
Travel content accounts for 40% of Boomers’ top influencer follows, with food content accounting for another 25%. Accounts like Nas Adventures, featuring a middle-aged Australian couple sharing travel experiences, align with this demographic’s interest in aspirational leisure content.
Implications for Marketers
Hypetap’s report recommends marketers move beyond basic demographic targeting to understand content category preferences by generation and platform.
“This intelligence is crucial for CMOs to position their brands for growth,” says Hypetap Managing Director, Bryce Coombe. “It empowers them to move beyond a simplistic, age-based approach and design campaigns that align with the specific content motivations of their target consumers.”
Bryce Coombe
The research highlights that content strategy should adapt to platform-specific expectations, with recognition that a single approach won’t work across all platforms.
“The ‘Talkin’ to Your Generation’ report ensures brands will achieve an unfair share of the attention economy by connecting with audiences on a much deeper, more relevant level,” Coombe explains.
For brands targeting Gen X and Boomer demographics, the report suggests emphasizing expertise and credibility in influencer partnerships.
“For CMOs, growth will come from moving beyond broad demographic labels and investing in influencer strategies that reflect the real motivations of each generation. The brands that act on these insights will not only capture attention but also build lasting relevance and trust with their audiences,” Coombe says.
The report also notes marketers should remain open to unexpected content categories and audience behaviors, particularly challenging assumptions about which age groups use specific platforms.
Image credit: Hypetap
The full report is available here
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