Beyond Virality: Gen Z Values, Story‑Driven Content & Building Real Community – with Anna Canfijn

In this conversation, host Sarah  sits down with Gen Z creator and marketer Anna Canfijn to unpack what actually moves the needle for brands on social media in 2025. They cover:

• Why Gen Z now judges brands first by ethics, transparency, and community impact.
• The fine line between clever trend‑jacking and cringe‑inducing meme overload.
• Three must‑have videos every brand should pin to the top of their profile.
• How to win when you don’t have a big budget (spoiler: document, don’t over‑produce).
• Why chasing virality can backfire—and what to focus on instead.
• Practical tools, posting cadence, and future trends (think Substack‑style long‑form and “low‑stim” storytelling).

Whether you run a small business or manage a marketing team, this episode gives you a no‑fluff roadmap to stronger content, tighter communities, and better conversions.

Major Takeaways

1. Ethics = Table Stakes – Gen Z assumes your product works; they follow when they trust your values.
2. Trends ≠ Strategy – One viral meme won’t save an off‑brand feed. Use trends sparingly, within clear content pillars.
3. Story Over Budget – Audiences reward authenticity and process‑based “documenting.” Expensive production is optional.
4. Three Core Videos – (a) “Start Here” brand pitch; (b) FAQ/objection‑buster; (c) Social proof compilation. Pin them.
5. Community > Virality – A steady, engaged core outperforms one‑off spikes. Viral demand can break inventory and ops.
6. Post with Purpose – Quality beats arbitrary “3‑posts‑a‑day” quotas. Aim for value, not volume.
7. Platform Fit Matters – Show up where your audience lives, but maintain a minimal presence everywhere for credibility.
8. Future Trend – A swing back to long‑form, lower‑stim content (newsletters, Substack‑style essays) that deepens brand narrative.
9. Listen & Adapt – Brands that reverse bad moves (Glossier’s balm) rebuild trust faster than those that double down.
10. Know Your Dream Buyer – Marketing to everyone is marketing to no one; build your avatar first, content second.