Marketing to millennials and what makes millennials tick might be a trending topic these days – but the truth is, while we’ll need to market to millennials for years to come, it’s time to start focusing on Generation Z. At first glance, Gen Z and millennials might seem similar, but when you look closer, you’ll find a lot of subtle differences that are very important to marketers. For example, millennials grew up during an economic boom while Gen Z grew up during a recession, and while millennials are mobile pioneers mostly raised by baby boomers, Gen Z is mobile natives, mainly raised by Gen X.
Who is Generation Z?
Sometimes referred to as the iGeneration, Generation Z is anyone born between 1995 and the mid-2000s; a demographic now making up over 30% of the total population. Unlike millennials, they don’t remember a time without the internet, and they are digitally savvy, having grown up using smartphones and tablets. And, research suggests that when it comes to marketing, Gen Z have half the attention span of millennials – so making a great first impression really counts.
Sell experiences rather than products:
Generation Z isn’t really interested in hard sells. Since they have grown up with the internet, they are usually not fazed by obvious marketing campaigns and they don’t care about why your product is so amazing – they want to know about the type of experience that it will bring them. 25% of what you sell should be your product, while the other 75% needs to be the feeling that comes along with it.
Utilize video content:
Video content is booming right now and it’s even more essential if you are marketing a brand to Generation Z. Surveys by Google revealed that YouTube is the first platform most Gen Z’ers will turn to when they want entertainment, want to expand their knowledge, learn new skills or just take a break from life.
Use micro-influencers:
Good news for brands – there’s no need to pair up with a well-known celebrity when it comes to using influencers to win over Gen Z. Instead, micro-influencers – anyone with a following of between 1,000 and 100,000 on social networks – tend to drive more engagement than celebrities, as they’re more relatable. And, forget about carefully curated and staged Instagram images – Gen Z prefers a messier, unfiltered approach.
Prioritize customer engagement:
If you want to learn more about effectively engaging with Gen Z, then Gen Z Guru is a helpful resource to consider. Engaging is more important than ever before when it comes to this generation – over 70% of Gen Zers have stated that they want brands to respond to feedback, and many use this factor when it comes to determining the authenticity of a brand. And, over 40% of Generation Z will read at least five different online reviews before making a purchase, so building your number of reviews is also important.
Gen Z is growing up and with more buying power, marketing to them has never been more important.
