In 30 seconds:
- When it comes to money, financial influencers are the go-to resource for Gen Z. So, who should you follow? We’ve got the top names.
- Gen Z knows where to improve their financial literacy. It’s time your brand got to know where they’re heading too.
- Knowing which influencers to watch is one thing, but understanding why is essential. We’ve listed the reasons they hit the personal finance jackpot with Gen Z.
Finance influencers, or ‘Fin-fluencers’, are shaking up the online world. They are the latest development in financial literacy and personal finance management, and one generation finds them especially interesting.
That’s right, Gen Zers want to improve their financial know-how and they’re hungry for more information on building wealth and making better financial decisions. 93% of teens believe they need financial education and skills to achieve their life goals, so they’re constantly on the lookout for easy-to-digest information and fast-paced financial tips.
Cue Finance influencers. It’s no wonder Zoomers are listening to these individuals: they’re providing the knowledge they crave in easy, bite-sized chunks.
But what exactly are fin-fluencers? Who should you be watching, and what can finance brands learn from their success? In this article, we’ll take you through all this and more. But first, what makes fin-fluencers so appealing to Gen Z?
Smart money for a smart generation
Gen Z wants to learn. They are a pioneering and entrepreneurially minded generation that, in just two years’ time, will make up over 25% of the workforce. In 10 years, they will take over the economy entirely. They are the most globally-facing generation yet, and are fiercely independent.
Despite not being at the top of the pile in terms of disposable income just yet, Gen Z has shown a surprising interest in the stock market, investing and even cryptocurrency, with 1 in 6 Gen Zs having said they invested for the first time between May 2020 and May 2021.
It’s not just a case of get-rich-quick schemes, though; Gen Z are the savviest of savers, with a third of them already having over £1K in savings by age 24. This practical financial advice is what personal finance influencers are all about.
70% of Gen Z have said that they regularly use applications provided by brands to collect rewards, with 47% actively using price comparison apps in a physical store. Having watched the generations above them scrimp, save (and be told to eat less avocado toast) in a bid to save for a housing deposit, Gen Z invests in their financial future like no generation before them.
Curious to know more about how Gen Z thinks about finance and financial freedom? Take a look at our article: Gen Z Finance: An Introduction for Brands
So, what is a finance influencer?
Financial influencers are social media content creators who are sharing practical tips on how to save, grow and look after your money, and are found on many social media platforms.
Some finance influencers have a traditional background in finance, but many are also self-taught and have all the more clout for it. These bloggers have been associated with the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early). 25% of Gen Zers said they were planning on retiring before the age of 55, so this movement is especially attractive to them.
Forget your piggy banks of the past: financial influencers are all about making saving money fun, and their trending expertise is fast filling up the pockets of Generation Z. These influencers are known for their no-frills approach to money management, savvy problem-solving, useful hacks, and often promote specific financial services and products that have their seal of approval.
Where to find finance influencers
Social media channels like YouTube and TikTok are where the personal finance experts of today and tomorrow are hanging out.
Using social media in a distinctly different way to millennials, a whopping 88% of Gen Z follow at least one influencer online and spend half their waking hours watching a screen. When it comes to clueing themselves up on money matters, 38% have said that they’ve learnt everything they know about personal finance from social media alone, with TikTok and YouTube being their favourites.
It’s no coincidence that these video-first platforms are the preference of a generation who prefer to consume video content above other forms and are fans of video-based learning.
Our Brand Partnerships Manager Helen Clow says, “While YouTube used to feel like the dominant big-brother for long-form learnings on topics like personal finance, changes in the way we consume information has meant that this is shifting. Gen Z are turning to TikTok for their short-form, instant gratification learnings while Millennials are wanting to learn as they go, tuning into Podcasts like The Art of Saving Money.”
It’s clear that influencer marketing is a no-brainer in terms of getting through to Gen Z. Understanding where to go to get the right influencer for your brand partnership is therefore key.
Our in-house social listening tool helps us find the perfect influencer for any campaign, from sharing personal finance memes to advising on credit cards – and our team are masters of outreach and relationship building to make sure any influencer campaign goes off without a hitch. If you’re wondering how to strategise your influencer outreach, check out our article on Influencer Outreach: 5 Tips for a Successful Strategy.
The top 5 finance influencers to follow
The most important thing when navigating the world of fin-fluence is checking that the information you’re getting is legitimate. The second most important is the ‘vibes’. As a brand, it’s essential to find the right influencer to collaborate with. Luckily, we’ve already done all the heavy lifting for you, so it’s up to you to see which influencer will work best with your brand to strike gold.
1. Humphrey Yang
@humphreytalks Dont let this mistake cost you! #personalfinance #interest #credit (ib: @Gabriel Nussbaum ♬ original sound - Humphrey Yang
- TikTok – @HumphreyTalks (3.3M followers)
- Youtube – Humphrey Yang (757K followers)
Humphrey is a fin-fluence veteran. Short and sweet, his super-specific videos cover everything from NFTs to the truth about predatory payday loans, how to shop at Costco without a membership and even how to eat alone at trendy places. He’s also a dab hand at decoding the mind-boggling world of tax and the stock market.
Why your brand should work with them
His transparent approach resonates with Gen Zers. 65% of this generation say they particularly value knowing what is going on around them and being in control. No-nonsense communication like this is what this generation craves, so his highly engaging style will get brands the best ROI.
2. Delyanne Barros
@delyannethemoneycoach Are you making this mistake? #financialiteracy #finance101 #invest #investingforbeginners ♬ original sound - Delyanne | Investing Coach
- TikTok – @DelyanneTheMoneyCoach (301.6K followers)
- Instagram – @delyannethemoneycoach (163K followers)
A down-to-earth ex-attorney from Brasilia, this female financial influencer put herself through law school in the US and has first-hand experience of the realities of debt and the immigrant/1st gen experience.
Delyanne’s content is all about slaying the stock market and empowering women to invest in themselves, not only in the here and now, but via long-term financial self-care. Delyanne’s female-first channel focuses on balancing happiness with reality and encourages her followers to ensure that living your ‘best life’ is actually for life, not just for payday.
Why your brand should work with them
Female financial influencers are on the rise. 48% of Gen Z women hold investments, and they are looking to people like Delyanne for inspiration. This influencer is a role model for many young girls, and brands should be looking to collaborate with empowering creators like her.
3. Poku Banks
@pokubanks I wouldn’t pay off my uni loan early! No benefits in doing so… #uni #finance #loan #sfe #university ♬ Lazy Sunday - Official Sound Studio
- TikTok: @PokuBanks (343.7K followers)
- Instagram: @pokubanks (37.8K followers)
- Youtube: Poku Banks (28.8K followers)
“It’s Poku Banks Baby”. Relatable, resourceful and undeniably Gen Z, London-based influencer Poku is famous for his snappy “Yo Poku” approach.
Poku has something wise to say on everything from student loans to crypto, HMRC and buy-to-lets, and his occasional use of drill/grime soundtracks will absolutely get you bopping. Poku is an ideal brand ambassador for the mega-cool and covers everything that a UK-based entrepreneur is hungry to hear about.
Why your brand should work with them
Gen Z is looking for truthful, entertaining information. Poku delivers this. He is also a regular host of the high-profile Gen Z networking event, The Gen Z Club (@TheGenZClub) where influencers create opportunities for aspirational zoomers. He’s a down-to-earth financial icon for the younger generation and a perfect collaborator for brands wanting to speak directly to them, in their language.
4. Simran Kullar
- Instagram: @MissPersonalFinance (7K followers)
- TikTok: @misspersonalfinance (2.7K followers)
25-year-old, UK-based Simran understands the importance of the bigger picture and that finances really don’t come naturally to everyone, and her clean-cut and approachable aesthetic is a sanctuary for the financially bamboozled.
Juxtaposing snaps of nature with her well-researched advice, Simran outlines the moves you should be making for your financial future, tips on managing financial stress and having ‘that’ salary conversation. She also offers 1-2-1 sessions via her website and also blogs about her travels.
Why your brand should work with them
As noted in Cosmopolitan, Simran is genuinely self-made, having started out with just £20 in her pocket and now has an investment portfolio totalling over £70,000. Her story is inspiring yet relatable, and shows how improving your financial well-being is really possible. As a micro-influencer, her fanbase is smaller, but don’t dismiss her potential: as we discussed in our micro-influencer article, these kinds of influencers tend to have far higher engagement. If you want to start a conversation with your audience and learn deeper insights from them, this is where to start.
5. Devamsha
@yoitsdevvie steal my payday routine: part 3! #budgeting #personalfinance #moneymanagement ♬ original sound - Devamsha | Money & Corporate
- TikTok – @yoitsdevvie (14.6K followers)
- Youtube – Devamsha (12.5K followers)
- Instagram – @Devamsha (2.8K followers)
Edinburgh-based dual-heritage tech consultant Devvie started out with a YouTube channel and is fast becoming the #FinTok ‘it-girl’.
The reason for Devvie’s snowballing success? Her videos are relatable, entertaining and real. She’s the savvy friend who gives great advice – but you also want to have a laugh with. Combining her academic prowess with a sparkling sense of humour, Devvie makes audit sound adorable and understands the broke but brainy Gen Zers inside out.
Why your brand should work with them
Almost half of Gen Zers live with financial anxiety. Brands need to know how to talk to this generation transparently and ease their stresses. Devvie does this brilliantly. She candidly shares her own experiences of debt and anxiety in a trademark narrative style to ease that stress and show her audience that it can get better.
Whatever is worrying Gen Zers financially, Devvie’s been there. Want to learn how to cut back on emotional spending? Just graduated and haven’t got a clue how to live independently or work towards being debt-free? Devvie’s your gal.
The right finance influencer + your brand = the perfect equation
Some of the most important things to think about when marketing to Generation Z is relatability and authenticity. That’s why TikTok is king here. Shying away from the more filtered, perfected feeds of Instagram influencers, Gen Z values the real-life feel of Tiktok and are more likely to take heed of what they hear there.
Of course, no matter where you go to market your brand, you need to find the right influencer. If something’s off in the equation, the result won’t be what you’re looking for.
Whilst we’ve just presented you with an array of the big up-and-comers in the fin-fluence world, there’s plenty more where that came from. Our in-house industry-leading tool, Bytesights is the world’s first platform for analysing TikTok influencers in any niche. We can find them before they go super-viral – which means engaged audiences, platform expertise, and an enviable ROI.
We happen to know a thing or two (or three) about fin-fluencers and we’re here to help you and your product succeed with these economic movers and shifters of the future. Get in touch to create a marketing campaign that will make the biggest bang for your buck.
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