4 Essential Tips for Marketing to Gen Z
Known as Gen Z, people born in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s are the up-and-coming generation to focus on when it comes to your digital marketing strategy. That doesn’t mean ignoring Millennials, Gen X, or Boomers, but it’s important to get a grasp on who they are, where they are, and what this segment responds to so that your strategy can be more inclusive to this market. Here are some tips from our digital marketing strategy team.
Why Gen Z Matters
Every generation has its own personality, values, interests, and preferences – Gen Z is no different. And although the majority of this generation is still quite young, make up about 32% of the current global population – and they have exceptional buying power and influence.
- Current global purchasing power is worth US$143 billion
- Over 70% of Gen Z family members influence family purchasing decisions
- As of 2020, Gen Z makes up 40% of the consumer population
- 90% of parents saying their children influence their spending decisions
How to Reach Out to Gen Z
#1 – Mobile, Bite-Sized Content
Born with a smartphone or tablet in their hands, no generation is quite as mobile-friendly as Gen Z. 55% of this group use their smartphones for 5 or more hours a day, with 61% having purchased a product over their smartphone in the last month. With an 8-second attention span, consumers in this generation aren’t easily distracted – but it is a challenge to get them to pay attention to your content over the flood of information they are skipping through as they trawl the online space.
As a result, it’s essential that content is not just mobile-friendly, but that it’s designed with mobile users as a priority. Keep your in-depth articles, video, and content to give your consumers a chance to dive deep, but remember to introduce your content through high-impact, bite-sized chunks that capture the imagination and provide instant, concise insight.
#2 – Be Loud and Proud with Your Values
71% of Gen Z wants to see more diversity in marketing content, 68% feel that brands need to contribute towards society, and 61% are willing to pay more for products that align with sustainability, ethical and green values. So don’t be shy!
Now is the perfect time to shake up your organisation, align your brand with causes that your audience (and employees!) are passionate about, and make your mark on the world. Sure, these investments – whether it’s committing to green energy, ethical production, better support for employees, waste reduction, or community upliftment – aren’t cheap. But since Gen Z is willing to pay more and stay loyal to brands who are active in their causes, it pays off.
Our recommendation is to find out more about what your customers would like to see your company doing differently, and to choose causes that aren’t just viable for your budget, but that you and your team feel especially connected to. Have a vision, know what you stand for, and take action.
#3 – Personalisation and Experiential Marketing
Like Millennials, Gen Z wants an experience whether they are buying a product, planning a vacation, or going to a restaurant. 58% are happy to pay more for personalised products and experiences. They want to feel part of something bigger, they want to feel unique, they want meaning, and they want to feel an impact on their lives and society around them. This sounds like a big ask for businesses, but it’s more about tailoring your brand and offering to make it more individualised, more exclusive, and more rewarding for a customer.
Thanks to marketing automation solutions, personalising content is much easier than you may think. It all relies on knowing your audience inside out and using Big Data to take this information and generate something that resonates with the end receiver. From personalised offerings based on past consumer behaviour, tailored discounts based on past purchases, and more accurate recommendations, to changing your service focus to place your brand more significantly in the local community through rewarding partnerships, personalised experiential marketing is very rewarding when done right.
#4 – Be Authentic and Trustworthy
When it comes to marketing to Gen Z, authenticity, transparency and accountability are everything. Big institutions are less trusted than ever before, so it’s time for smaller businesses to shine. Find your brand’s authentic voice, be upfront when a misstep is made, and be clear on what you offer and why. This generation knows how to research and can find out everything they want to about your business and products, so it’s important not to mislead this market. Trust has always been a significant factor in digital marketing success, and when you’ve earned it, your Gen Z audience is a powerful marketing voice in itself – becoming loyal, vocal supporters for your brand online. This applies to everything from your digital marketing and social media content to your business practices, operations, and customer data use.
Let’s Make Your Brand Everything It Can Be for Gen Z
Digital Freak is a holistic digital marketing agency that’s all about no-fuss, no-hassle results. We’re not here to tell you what your audience wants to hear – we’re here to help you become the brand your audience wants you to be. With social media, website development, inbound marketing, and analytics expertise, we’re here to help your business shine.
I take a spark and turn it into a fireworks show! From internal client communications to LinkedIn authority articles, social media, and blogs, I write it all. My aim is to represent clients authentically with high-quality content that Google loves. I’ll show consumers why you’re the business they want to work with, buy from, and follow for life!
