Marketing to Gen Z
Digital marketing in today’s world is hyper-focused on all of the ways to target millennials, only to forget they’re not the only generation to focus on in today’s market. Sure, we still need to market to millennials for years to come, but it’s time to start turning our attention to Generation Z.
At first glance, Gen Z and Millennials seem very similar. However, digging a little deeper, you begin to see the subtle differences between the two that make a difference and are essential information for marketers.
Who Makes Up Generation Z?
Before we can even begin to think about creating a marketing strategy, we first need to define Generation Z.
Generation Z (aka Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials), refers to the Generation born between 1995-2010, following millennials. The oldest of this group are 23 and 24 years old. They are recent college graduates looking to begin their careers. They are intuitive, super tech-savvy, creative, and they don’t remember a time before the internet—unlike millennials.
The average attention span of a Gen Zer is around eight seconds- that’s four seconds less than millennials. This means first impressions do matter and they better be significant within a short window of time.
If you want to target Generation Z, then take a look at these four strategies to help increase your brand’s leads, sales and awareness.
Experiences
Because they have grown up with the internet, they are immune to overt marketing campaigns. This generation needs something a little more in-depth that will hold their attention. They don’t want to know why your brand is so great, they want you to show them. Making that connection and becoming more than a sale to Generation Z will make all the difference.
Video
Along with heavy interaction, short videos that are high quality are most likely to gain the attention of those in Gen Z. Gen Z heavily uses platforms like TikTok for entertainment. However, there is prime marketing that can happen within these platforms to gauge with this audience. 41% of TikTok users are from this Generation and have a whopping 143 billion dollars in buying powers, according to a study by Barkley.
And TikTok isn’t the only place for this: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat all have video marketing capabilities. Make sure to include video on your website as well.
Influencers
Celebrities do not drive the same engagement in the market that it once did. Micro-influencers actually drive more engagement than their celebrity counterparts because Gen Z can relate to them.
Micro-influencers drive 60% higher engagement levels and 22.2% more weekly conversions—in addition to being 6.7 times more cost-efficient per engagement compared to influencers with more significant followings. (Pierucci, 2019)
Gen Z views influencers as a trusted source for recommendations on a product, This means finding a micro-influencer to endorse your product to share with their audience will only help boost sales.
Engagement
Reviews are highly crucial in today’s market. Nearly 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase (Spiegel Research Center, 2017). Which helps build trust and form brand loyalty. It is especially important for this generation, where 41% read at least five online reviews before making a purchase, and they share twice as much positive feedback than negative.
Why Gen Z Matters For Your Business
While Generation Z and Millennials might seem similar, once you take a better look, you’ll realize how different they can be and the power of influence on the market that they have.
If you want to expand your target market and customize your marketing strategies to incorporate these tips and tricks, then you can boost your brand’s loyalty, awareness, and sales with Gen Z.
Need help putting together a marketing plan that includes Gen Z? Give us a call today at 334.446.6149 for Brand New Ideas to target your audience.
Posted: Mar 18, 2020