If Gen Z is your main target audience, then it’s important to make sure you are marketing to them in a way that is going to grab their attention. This generation tends to prefer online consumption and probably won’t read emails. Gen Z is younger than Millennials and has grown up with super-fast broadband and smartphones, unlike some Millennials who are old enough to remember the days of dial-up internet and playing Snake on the Nokia 3310. Because of this, social media marketing is crucial for this generation and influencer marketing tends to have a bigger impact.
Who is Gen Z?
Anybody born between 1997 and 2012 is considered to be Generation Z or Gen Z, with the oldest members of this generation now around 23 years old, and the youngest still children. In 2019, Gen Z outnumbered Millennials around the world. While they share many characteristics with Millennials, it’s important to bear some important differences in mind when it comes to putting marketing strategies for this generation together – you can learn more via this page on “What is Gen Z”. These are some tips to keep in mind when marketing to Gen Z.
Social Media Marketing
Gen Z does love their screens, but they prefer smaller screens. On average, around 75% of this generation will use a smartphone rather than a laptop, computer, or other device. And they are twice as likely to shop from their smartphone than Millennials. Because of this, smartphones should be the first consideration that you make when putting together marketing strategies for Gen Z.
This includes social media apps, with Gen Z spending almost three hours per day on social media – more than any other generation. Gen Z tends to prefer more visual-centric social media like TikTok and Instagram, so these are worth focusing on more compared to other social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Use this image background changer to create interesting and visually appealing content for Instagram.
Word of Mouth Marketing
Gone are the days when you can hire some actors and shoot a commercial for TV to improve your sales, at least if you are marketing to Generation Z. According to InfluencerDB, less than 30% of users now trust traditional advertising, while over 80% of consumers trust personal recommendations more than the brands themselves. 48% of Gen Z are likely to hit the share button if they see something interesting on social media, so pushing for word-of-mouth recommendations and social shares should be key if you are marketing to Gen Z.
Influencer Marketing
Social media influencers are a key part of any marketing strategy for Gen Z. However, celebrity influencers and collaborations are unlikely to have a huge effect. Instead, brands that want to market to Gen Z may want to consider working with micro-influencers on social media networks, particularly Instagram. A survey by Faktenkontor found that half of people aged 20 and under have purchased a product or service that was promoted by an influencer, and around 70% of Gen Z are following at least one influencer on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Gen Z Values
Gen Z is a generation that is highly value-oriented. This generation puts a lot of value on personal success, family, human equality, individuality, financial security, transparency, and authenticity. If you look at some of the most successful brands that are marketing to Gen Z, you will find that they weave these values into their content and brand perfectly. Gen Z members tend to be looking for companies that they can do business with a lot in the future and tend to choose companies that foster relationships with their customers. They are unlikely to fall for marketing traps and make sure that what they buy online is worth it.
Gen Z is different from previous generations when it comes to what they are looking for in the brands they do business with. So, if Gen Z is your target market, keep these tips in mind.
