Social is the new search: How to create demand now [EXAMPLES]
- Exverus Staff
- Jul 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: 12 minutes ago
Search engines are now mid-funnel channels. Learn how consumers really discover brands in 2025 to reach new consumers.
Need efficiency in your paid media plan?
Save money on lower-funnel media spend by building awareness and demand for your brand among new consumers before they search.
What is discovery-driven demand?
Consumers, especially of Gen Z, are increasingly discovering brands without actively seeking them in a process that WARC calls discovery-driven demand.
The consumer journey isn't a straight line anymore—it's a multidimensional, curiosity-driven web shaped by discovery-first platforms.
We've found that establishing brand recognition earlier in the journey dramatically reduces the premium you'll pay for bottom-funnel conversions.
This upstream approach doesn't just build awareness—it creates efficiency across your entire media investment.
Is social media a search engine now?
December 2024 data from ForbesAdvisor shows that social media is rapidly overtaking traditional search engines like Google and Bing as the first choice for product and trend discovery among Gen Z and Millennials.
Interestingly, only 64% of Gen Z and 35% of millennials use search engines for brand discovery, a significant decline compared to 94% of Baby Boomers.
Instead, popular social platforms are becoming primary search tools, with 46% of Gen Z and 35% of millennials preferring them over traditional search engines.
A whopping 44% of Gen Z discover new brands on social media daily!
Why the shift? Trust and community.
Social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have given voice to influencers and creators who have credibility with younger generations, which traditional marketing efforts lack.
Ads are nice, but it's amazing to have a creator who fits the demographics of your target buyer and talks about your product.
That's why partnerships, influencer marketing, and user-generated content are vital to today's campaigns. Micro and macro communities have been built around these individuals, creating a sense of authenticity and connection that search engines (and brands) simply can't compete with alone.
How else can brands create demand in 2025?
Here are a few ideas for reaching new consumers everywhere they’re open to inspiration:
1. Optimize for social-search and retail-search
Apply SEO principles to:
Instagram, where captions perform better than hashtags to meet searchers in discovery mode
TikTok, which is ripe for expanding reach and influencing viewers, particularly on its For You page and in search results
Retail media networks, which can pair shopper data with sponsored recommendations more precisely than ever
Exverus’ paid search expert Michael Robbins advises,
“Find the long-tail search terms that resonate with your consumers best, and aim to own those key terms. Be specific; don’t take your hands off the wheel, going broad-match or letting the ‘algorithm’ do the work.”
CASE STUDY: For Dymatize protein powders, we chose to highlight the brand’s unique flavor offerings (like Fruity Pebbles!) in the creative assets for social and retail media, and in turn, we saw searches for those same flavors spike significantly.
2. Invest in (and repurpose) visually engaging content.
TikTok videos, Pinterest boards, and Social Reach activations pique curiosity and engagement. Pinterest is especially well-suited for reaching people not looking for a particular product but open to inspiration.
And don't just tout a product, build a community. Research suggests that as many as 60% of millennial purchases are driven by FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. Build the perception that owning a particular product means belonging to a larger community, and young adult customers will loyally align themselves with your brand.
3. Create new paths to purchase.
Our award-winning Premier Protein & Dymatize campaign for October 2023 Prime Day did just that. On TikTok and Instagram, we served up the kind of influencer content our target enjoys to create awareness; nurtured consideration and urgency with TikTok’s interactive features; and attached shoppable links from the social videos directly to the Amazon product pages with excellent deals to follow through with purchase. Learn more below:
Start the conversation.
To be recommended by AI-driven search, focus less on website click-through and more on product feeds that answer searchers’ natural questions. Engage meaningfully in conversations on Reddit, which trains AI models, as well.
Get OOH and IRL.
High-impact, out-of-home (OOH) media activations are excellent awareness-builders that drive branded searches.
John Hoover, SVP at NPRP Media, has the proof:
“OOH media drives 7x more social engagement and search than any other format. An impressive 48% of people exposed to OOH featuring a celebrity or influencer visit the product or brand’s website afterward.”
Case Study: When MasterClass sought Exverus’ help announcing the new talent on their platform (Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton, etc.) we partnered with NPRP Media to implement a can’t-miss blend of large-format and digital OOH, paired with social retargeting, in multiple target demo areas.
As a result, we saw a 667% boost in MasterClass searches, 47% lift in positive brand sentiment, and a 25% lift in aided brand awareness. The campaign won two Adweek Media Plan of the Year awards!
Businesses that rely on traditional search traffic are being left in the dust by generative AI tools and shifting consumer behavior.
To thrive in 2025, don’t wait to be searched for—strategically position your brand where discovery happens organically, creating demand before consumers even know what they're looking for.
Ready to rethink your discovery strategy? Let's discuss.
This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.
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