How to target Generation Z?

Generation Z, and how to reach out to them?

When attempting to target Gen Z, it is essential to be empathetic and integrate your message with their beliefs, values, and behaviours rather than marketing aggressively. Think about how you can create a brand personality that is relatable, shareable, and likeable. Using these core tactics, you will have a solid message to capture the minds and hearts of Gen Z. This generation is empathetic, aware, and intelligent. If you want to address them, you must speak their language. This paper will discuss better understanding, communication, and targeting them.

Looking at the characteristics of this generational group, also known as “digital natives,” Gen Z is progressive and more ethnically and racially diverse than previous generations. They don’t like being typecast into one box, are inclusive, and take their time evaluating all their options before making a purchase decision.?

Any brands looking to leverage Gen Z’s massive spending power must understand what appeals to this younger generation. Information about what they want will enable brands to cater to them more effectively.?

Better Targeting Generation Z

Understand Gen Z?

You need to get this right. Gen Z is the generation born between 1995 to 2012 – into a world where technology has progressed exponentially, and everything they want and need is now available at their fingertips.?

According to an?article?published by Huffington Post, Gen Z is less focused than their predecessors – they are great at multitasking and expect brands to respect their loyalty. However, they quickly switch allegiance if a brand fails to live up to their worldview.?

Gen Z cares about the future and its impact on everything – from the economic climate to the environment. They understand that the future depends on them and thus feel very strongly about ethical issues, such as sustainability and animal testing when deciding where to purchase.?

Remember, this doesn’t just apply to a digital journey but also an in-store approach. Many people from Gen Z still find an?in-store shopping experience?valuable and enjoyable. Thus, creating a sense of community in in-store experiences will appeal to Gen Z – they want to live a brand story and be able to talk to their chosen brands.?

Focus on Visual, Eye-Catching Content

Over?80% of Gen Z?says YouTube and Instagram are their preferred social media channels when it comes to social media. Moreover, when asked which platforms they want brands to use more, 38% said YouTube, whereas 56% said Instagram.?

Given Gen Zs?preference for short video content, brands need to incorporate visual platforms into their marketing strategies and create bite-sized content such as Instagram Stories.?

Short video content that uses visual effects, music, and overlays have proven highly beneficial for brands and influencers. The recent boom of TikTok is testimony to this fact. With more than 680 million users worldwide and?24% of TikTok users in the UK?between 15 and 25, TikTok is an essential component of any brand’s strategy to connect with Gen Z.?

Stylised visual content and video need to be a top priority to capture younger consumers’ attention. In the era of so many apps, creative filters, and social features, anything regarded as dull or static won’t stand a chance with Gen Z.?

Focus on Authenticity?

Authenticity is essential to becoming successful on social media platforms as it offers a view of humanity in a highly commercialised environment. Moreover, this is particularly true when targeting Gen Z, which likes?fun and authentic brands.?

Instead of working against this demand for authenticity, brands need to embrace it. For instance, they can show the faces of the people working behind the brand name. You might have heard of brand “voice,” however, when it comes to Gen Z, you need to develop a brand “personality” and focus on establishing long-lasting relationships.?

For platforms dominated by Gen Z, such as Snapchat or TikTok, think about sharing interviews with employees, behind-the-scenes videos, or an insight into what you do when things don’t go according to plan to create a human connection with your younger consumers.?

Experiment with Creative and Interactive Content?

According to research, it is best to use a combination of?interactivity and creativity?to capture Gen Z’s attention.?

When they land on your posts, younger people want to perform some action – click, swipe, tap.?

Anything you can do to facilitate conversation or interaction on social media platforms is excellent. For instance, you can use interactive features such as polls that fulfil a dual role of learning more about consumers and capturing their attention.?

A Twitter poll is an easy and quick way to boost engagement amongst your followers and even generate new ideas for future content. Additionally, interactive content enables consumers to make buying decisions. For example, brands such as?Topshop, with a large Millennial and Gen Z customer base, feature quizzes on their websites to help people identify the styles that resonate with their personality.?

The fusion of personalisation and interaction is essential when targeting Gen Z shoppers who prefer brands that value them as unique individuals.

Strategies to Target Gen Z

Targeting younger customers has been tricky in the past. Demographic data can be tough to track, and marketing trends rise and decline.?

The chronically online and outspoken nature of Gen Z makes it easy to learn their purchasing behaviour.?

Treating Gen Z as a singular block will surely come off as inappropriate. However, it is also important that marketers learn to bridge the gap between Gen Z and other previous generations, including millennials. Despite all the similarities between the two ages, connecting with individuals of Gen Z starts with understanding their unique behaviours and preferences.

Leverage Their Love for Influencers

Gen Z is aware that influencers who review a new gadget or a makeup brush have received it for free or compensated for their time. Nevertheless, they appreciate a good influencer who takes a middle ground and points out both advantages and disadvantages, allowing people to decide for themselves.??

Even though a recent?survey?suggests that influencers might not be suitable for every brand, those that can work with them to appeal to Gen Z are likely to witness an increase in engagement.

Gen Z is moving on from PewdyPie, Lily Melrose, and Zoella, whom millennials still like when it comes to top influencers. Instead, they are scrolling through Instagram and liking posts of personalities such as Baby Ariel, Connor Franta, Zendaya, and Amanda Steele.??

While these A-list influencers might be costly for most brands, those with thousands of followers are attainable and can motivate Gen Z to notice your brand or use your site.?

How to Make the Most of Influencer Marketing

1. Stay Authentic. Pick influencers whose tone of voice is similar to your brands. Hence, this will help your message resonate with your current audience and the influencers’ followers.?
2. Add Personality to Your Pitch. When contacting influencers and bloggers, ensure the brand’s personality comes through as it will motivate them to work with you. A cold and generic email won’t get you anywhere.?
3. Stay up to date with the latest trends and platforms. If a newly launched platform has potential longevity and is suitable for your brand, experiment with it and see if any influencers in the space can support you in the new venture and showcase your brand to their followers.?
4. Work with Micro Bloggers. The famous names in the social space might be too costly. However, their mass followings might also be less engaged than a reasonably small influencer. Someone with a strong following of 10,000 might have higher engagement rates than someone with 100,000.?
5. Build a Community. What product do you sell, and what do you want the influencer to highlight to their community? Building a sense of community will surely appeal to Gen Z.

Make sure the people you work with have a positive experience, from the first contact through phone or email to getting your product. Plus, provide an incentive for individuals interested in what’s being reviewed, like a discount code.??

Optimise the Mobile Experience

As per an IBM?survey, 75% of Gen Z chose a smartphone or mobile phone as the most used device. Moreover, this makes a lot of sense when you consider how young an average Gen Z individual was when they received their?first smartphone?compared to millennials.?

On average, teenagers get their first mobile or smartphone when they are around 12-13 years of age. On the other hand, individuals between 25 and 34 got their first smartphone at the age of 20.?

Mark Dolliver, an eMarketer analyst, says, “Part of the appeal of smartphone usage for people this age is that the phone is probably the first big-ticket item that has belonged to them personally.”

In light of this, brands should optimise their content for mobile devices. However, this involves using a mobile-optimised website theme, developing content suited for mobile devices, such as vertical videos, and simplifying the checkout process.?

Incorporate User-Generated Content?

Several businesses keep a substantial distinction between organic and paid social media marketing. Yet, in many instances, separate teams need to enhance communication to get better results. The main thing here is to look at organic content and media buying as a single strategy.?

Given their love for authenticity, the most effective advertisements to target Gen Z are user-generated content (commonly known as UGC). According to a?study?by Stackla, almost 80% of individuals claim UGC impacts their buying decisions.?

You can encourage your followers to share UGC with a branded hashtag, such as their pictures. For instance, Uniqlo has a particular highlight on Instagram for people who use the hashtag #LifeWear or #Uniqlo.?

In plain words, Gen Z wants to feel connected with your brand, not just purchase your product.?

Highlight Your Brands Values and Beliefs?

A report by?Brands Get Real?reveals that customers have pretty high expectations for brands taking a stand on social issues. Hence, this is especially true for Gen Z consumers, who are?three times more likely?than other generations to say that a brand’s purpose is to serve society and communities.?

Many brands are highlighting their values and beliefs, from raising awareness on social issues to championing diversity and beyond.?

Brands taking a clear and bold stance is turning more into an expectation than an exception to the rule. The boldness positively correlates with the younger generation’s desire to speak about their beliefs and feel heard. Brands need to be careful about highlighting their position on social issues and do so in a dignified way.?

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