Marketing to Gen Z

Who are Gen Z?

Generation Z are people who are born between the years 1997 and 2012 and are the current generation of young people. This generation is the one with both 10-year-olds who are about to begin secondary school up to 25-year-olds who may be in a good career and starting a family. This generation have been raised on the internet and social media and are the first consumers to have grown up wholly in the digital age with some saying they are ‘addicted’ to the internet. They are seen as the most accepting and open-minded people compared with any other generation and are set to have huge spending power by the year 2026. This makes it incredibly important to start thinking of ‘out-of-the-box’ marketing techniques to grab the attention of this generation.

‍Marketing techniques for Gen Z

Marketing to Generation Z requires a lot more than just selling your product or service. Many people from this generation make their views very clear on social media and are drawn to brands and products that do the same and know where they stand. One of the key things you should be thinking about when marketing to Gen Z is to make your brand values clear and transparent. Research suggests that this generation likes to hear about what you think and do about different social issues such as global warming and mental health and if you post about these topics, they are likely to want to find out more about your products and services. This is due to the fact that they are the most opinionated, open-minded and individual generation at this time and want to connect and purchase products from brands that have the same beliefs as themselves.

A second marketing technique to consider implementing to attract Gen Z is to post short-form content. Many Gen Z consumers like to watch and engage with bite-sized pieces of content including TikTok videos and Instagram stories so you should be considering incorporating these platforms and content styles to your marketing strategy. Adding to this, make sure all the content you produce is visually eye-catching as research suggests that 81% of Gen Z say that predominantly visual apps such as Instagram and YouTube are their preferred social networking sites.

Another marketing technique to implement into your content to grab the attention of Generation Z is to include lots of interactive content. An idea could be to include polls on your social media pages asking people their opinions on different subjects relating to your brand or an issue that affects them personally. This not only encourages your consumers to interact with your brand but also helps to inspire new ideas to make your brand more relatable to them. As a brand, you also need to ensure that you are being interactive by responding to comments and issues as soon as possible, otherwise your audience may feel that their voices aren't being heard or acknowledged.

Lastly, those in Gen Z usually look to support brands that are ‘fun’ and ‘cool’ for their own entertainment as well as shopping. Include some comedy elements such as a comedic GIF as much of this content is shared and sometimes can go viral on social media, allowing you to reach out to more and more of this generation.