“Brands targeting Gen Z need to look beyond the confines of traditional segmentation, the ultimate priority always has to be on alignment that helps us cultivate relationships with youth culture – not just organize it.”
– Gregg L. Witt, The Gen Z Frequency: How Brands Tune in and Build Credibility
Marketing to Generation Z can appear to be a challenging task for certain companies. But what is the reality? It’s simpler than you might think to figure out how to make your marketing resonate with a younger audience.
Let’s examine the traits of this generation, commonly referred to as “digital natives.” Generation Z is on track to surpass all other generations in terms of education, is progressive, and is more racially and culturally diverse.
Additionally, this generation avoids self-labeling, practices radical inclusivity, and considers all of their alternatives carefully before making a decision.
Marketers who wish to use Gen Z’s enormous purchasing power must comprehend what motivates this younger generation.
Additionally, keeping an eye on what young consumers want helps firms attract new customers and makes sure they don’t miss out on important social media trends.
Marketing to younger customers has historically proved challenging. Tracking demographic information can be challenging.
Trends in marketing come and go. To be sure, Gen Z is outspoken and frequently online, which makes inferring their purchasing habits much less of a guessing game.
Gen Z should not be treated as a separate group if you don’t want to appear out of touch. Brands must also figure out how to close the generational divide between Gen Z and other generations, like Millennials.
Despite the differences between the two generations, recognizing Gen Zers’ unique online behaviors and social preferences is the first step in establishing a connection.
With that, let’s get started!
1.Focus On Captivating Visual Content:
Instagram and YouTube are the social networks Gen Z members say they use the most, according to 81% of them.
Furthermore, when asked which networks Gen Z would want to see brands use more frequently, 56% mentioned Instagram and 38% mentioned YouTube.
Given Gen Z’s appetite for short-form video content, marketers should consider incorporating visual platforms into their strategies and developing bite-sized content like Instagram Stories.
Influencers and brands agree that short-form video with overlays, visual effects, and music is marketing gold. You need to look no further than TikTok’s recent growth to see proof of this occurrence.
TikTok is an essential part of any brand’s plan to connect with Gen Z. With over 680 million users globally and 25% of TikTok users in the US between the ages of 10 and 19, TikTok is a hugely popular platform.
2.Getting More Tags:
Marketing to members of Generation Z also heavily relies on tagging.
For instance, encouraging followers to provide user-generated material with a branded hashtag, such as customer pictures, allowing clients to self-identify with a tag at a brand’s physical location or to gain more potential followers for a brand’s social media feed, asking customers to tag their friends and family in posts.
3.Showcase The Fun Of Your Brand:
Although it may seem obvious, the majority of Generation Z prefers to support businesses that they consider to be “fun” and “cool.” That might help to explain why young people are so drawn to humor and meme-centric social media material.
Here, brands must contend with the difficulty of keeping up with internet speed.
Brands that attempt to share a months-old meme run the risk of seeming out of date. In a similar vein, not all professions have the opportunity to assume the character of a comic.
The most important thing is for brands to have a distinctive voice, showing the human aspect of their social media presence through real conversations that don’t sound too stuffy.
Brands should avoid using templates when communicating with consumers and instead try to be natural and unexpected.
4.Accept Consumer Comments And Review:
Sometimes saying nothing at all is the best thing a brand can do to promote purchasing habits.
82% of Gen Z consumers will make a purchase from a brand after reading online evaluations from other customers, according to Sprout’s Digital Natives Report.
Customer reviews can enhance your brand’s online reputation, inform potential new customers, and increase credibility through social proof by being incorporated into your social strategy.
Consider reaching out to clients you already know who appreciate your products or developing feedback forms to mail following a purchase or experience to encourage reviews.
Make it as simple as possible for consumers to submit reviews, and don’t be shy about responding to both favorable and bad reviews.
5.Offer The Customers What They Desire:
Above all, Gen Z consumers want brands to show that they truly comprehend their needs and wants. According to data from the Index, 50% of Gen Z customers are more inclined to purchase from a brand that conveys this understanding than from a rival.
For organizations, this may be as straightforward as letting customers know their opinions are valued or as big as launching a new service, event, or piece of content in response to their input.
While targeting younger customers may need some finesse, “cool” brands on social media aren’t the only ones that can pull it off.
Added graphic material? more truthfulness? More back-and-forth exchanges with clients?
Hey, we think all of those sound good. Brands have the opportunity to forge meaningful connections that are advantageous to all parties by taking the time to understand Gen Z’s tastes and what sets them apart from previous generations.
Are you prepared to boost your Gen Z marketing plan?
