Why referrals, influencers and trust matter with Zillennials

When it comes to influencing Gen Z and young millennials, or zillennials, trust is the trigger. Whether it’s a TikTok creator they’ve followed for years or a best friend dropping a discount code, zillennials turn toreal voicestheybelieve before clicking ‘Add to Cart’.

Why? This generation grew up in a digital world saturated with ads, and they’ve learned to tune them out. Gen Z now spends a quarter of their day consuming content. With that level of nonstop exposure, traditional marketing fades into the background.

What cuts through is a referral: a trusted recommendation from someone who feels real. Reaching them means showing up through the people they already listen to, whether it’s a friend, trusted creator or community they connect with.

Here’s how brands can leverage that influence to turn Zillennial connection and credibility into scalable referral success:

1. Tap into trust that’s already there

Referrals are one of the strongest purchase drivers for zillennials. In fact, 39% say a friend or family’s recommendation influenced a recent purchase, making personal recommendations a key part of their decision-making process.

But it’s not only the group chat making moves — creators still have real pull. Trust in influencers isn’t just holding steady, it’s gaining ground, especially with younger audiences. Nearly 4 in 10 Gen Z consumers say they trust influencers today more than they did a year ago. They gravitate toward micro- and nano-influencers who feel like one of them, not spokespeople.

To activate this trust, retailers need to meet zillennials where their conversations are already happening. That means building referral strategies that blend peer recommendations and influencer content, embedding your brand into real voices they already believe.

You’re not starting the conversation. You’re joining it.

2. Offer real rewards (because “thanks” isn’t enough)

Zillennials are value-driven and vaguely telling them to share something with a friend won’t move them. If a referral feels like a favor, they’ll scroll past. The reward must be fair, personal and worth the social capital it costs them to post or share.

In a campaign with clothing brand Ann Summers, referral platform Soreto helped power a 318% increase in conversion rate and a 15:1 ROI with dual-sided incentives. When both the referrer and the referred benefit, it doesn’t just feel good; it performs. Zillennials value transparency and equity, and this model delivers both.

Personalization adds even more power as 84.9% of Gen Z consumers are interested in receiving personalized offers, and a third say they’d try a new brand if it meant getting a tailored experience. Offering custom referral codes, flexible rewards or even exclusive perks can make sharing feel like an extension of their identity instead of a transaction.

Referrals won’t fly on goodwill alone. Instead, brands should give zillennials something worth talking about.

3. Catch the high: Timing is everything

The best moment to ask for a referral is right after checkout, when the customer is riding the post-purchase high. It’s the sweet spot when excitement is peaking and second-guessing hasn’t set in.

Referral prompts on thank-you pages, confirmation emails or push notifications convert better because they meet zillennials in the moment, instead of days later when the buzz has worn off.

This isn’t just about getting the timing right; it’s about making the referral feel like a natural part of the experience. Whether it’s a personalized prompt or a sleek referral card included in the unboxing, the ask should feel as exciting as the purchase itself.

4. Make it easy and scalable with tech

Zillennials might love to refer and be referred to, but only if it’s seamless. The smoother the experience, the higher the follow-through.

That’s where a tech stack comes into play. Affiliate platforms plug referrals directly into the customer journey while automating tracking, attribution and payouts so brands can scale without adding friction. This type of ease isn’t optional — it’s expected, whether you’re leveraging influencers or customers.

If your referral program isn’t mobile-optimized, fast-loading and built for one-tap sharing, you risk falling off their radar entirely. And if you’re not using a platform to properly track performance and impact, you’re flying blind and missing the data that proves ROI and drives smart scaling.

For zillennials, convenience is the default. To win their attention (and their referrals), your tech needs to feel effortless and made for how they actually shop and share.

5. Keep it real: Scripts don’t sell

Zillennials have a sixth sense for anything that feels forced. Whether it’s a friend sharing a link or a creator doing a demo, the tone has to feel natural and unscripted. If it sounds like an ad, they’ll ignore it.

Referral messaging should be genuine, excited and never overly polished. Around 80% of Gen Z consumers turn to social media for product inspiration, but over half say they’re skeptical of content that doesn’t feel authentic.

They’re not influenced by the biggest voices, but they are influenced by the most believable ones. Referrals work best when consumers feel like they are honest, personal recommendations instead of a brand script in disguise.

Zillennial influence starts here

Zillennials don’t want to be sold to. They want to be part of something they believe in and discover brands through people they trust. That’s the magic of referrals: They don’t interrupt the experience — they are the experience.

If you’re not tapping into the voices zillennials are already listening to, you’re missing the moment. But with the right strategy and tools in place, referrals can move from a nice-to-have to a revenue-driving growth engine for brands.

Editor’s Note: