Generation Z are the youngest group of consumers, born between 1997 and 2012. With a different perspective on the world than any generation before them, they want to be in control of their own lives. They want to be accepted for who they are, and be able to express themselves freely.
For many brands, marketing to this group of strong-willed, passionate young people can seem like a daunting task. As ‘digital natives’, Gen Z are the first generation to have grown up under the influence of the internet and social media, so marketing and selling to them is pretty much unknown territory.
Connecting and engaging with Gen Z is crucial for business success, especially in the long-term. Even if you don’t think your target audience is Gen Z now, once they get older, they could be, so it’s important to make those connections now.
Gen Z values diversity, relatability and above all else, authenticity. For your brand to reach, and be successful with the younger generation, it needs to be real, showing the triumphs and challenges your business faces. Remember, people buy from people, and this applies to Gen Z in particular.
Is TikTok taking over the digital landscape?
The rise of TikTok over the past three years has been incredible. The platform first launched in 2016 and now boasts over one billion active users a month. TikTok has been changing the social media game, moving users away from the image and text sharing of Facebook and Instagram, and into short, snappy videos just a few seconds long.
TikTok has been making such huge waves in the way we consume content that the majority of other social platforms have been following suit, with Instagram releasing Reels as a key example. The video-sharing app embraces creativity, and challenges the more ‘traditional’ ideas of content creation for both individuals and businesses.
The ‘For You Page’, which would be the equivalent to a Facebook Newsfeed, learns each individual users’ likes and dislikes and tailors what content is shown to them. This more unique approach to social media is one of the reasons it appeals to Gen Z so much, it creates a greater sense of community and allows users to connect with like-minded people more easily.
TikTok has also been said to be on par with Google as a search engine in its own right, especially for Gen Z. With access to so much information (whether it be food recipes, news updates, or how-to guides) all in the form of short video clips, TikTok is much more appealing for a Gen Zer with a shorter attention span, than Google.
Characteristics of a Gen Z consumer
As the youngest generation in the workforce, Generation Z, is coming into their own. They are the most diverse generation and have a strong sense of social justice. Characteristics of Gen Z differ heavily from the likes of the Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (1965-1980) and even Millennials (1981-1996). So, brands need to realise their messaging needs to differ for these different groups as well. Some of the things that define typical Gen Z consumers include:
Shorter attention spans
This generation is used to having information at their fingertips, which means that they don’t want to be invested in a single piece of content for long periods of time. This means shorter posts, more photos, videos, infographics and other visually stimulating content.
Strong FOMO culture
With social media and its constant flow of posts, it can give rise to a culture of FOMO (fear of missing out). Gen Z are more likely than their older counterparts to be in this group that feel anxious about missing out on something, especially when it comes to social media. Creating time sensitive content, like competitions or offers on products and services will perform well.
Politically progressive
Gen Zers tend to be more progressive and inclusive than some of their predecessors, which makes them more likely to be politically active. By using your business’ social platforms to start conversations about important issues in the world, you will build that trust with Gen Z and they’re more likely to interact with your brand if you show you share the same or similar views. Authenticity is crucial here. Gen Z are very good at spotting when brands are paying lip service to a particular movement or cause for clout, rather than really believing in it, and they’re not afraid to call it out. So be true to what you believe in. After all, no-one likes a fake, right?
Value trust
Linked with the progessive and inclusive nature of Gen Z, building trust with them is crucial to getting them on board as loyal customers. They value authenticity over perfectionism, so working on your brand identity and sharing your business journey with them and more ‘behind the scenes’ type content will show them you’re a brand to be trusted.
Top six ways to market to Gen Z
Marketing to Gen Zers requires a different approach than marketing to millennials. It needs to be more authentic and personalised, as well as more interactive and engaging. Brands should focus on creating experiences that allow users to share their content with friends, or incentivise them to do so by giving them rewards for doing so.
User-generated content
Gen Zers love to share their opinion, especially on social media, so it’s best to not just create content, but also to encourage them to create content for your brand. Social listening is key here. Keep an eye on what trending topics there are and how your followers behave, then tailor content based on your findings. Remember what we said earlier about authenticity, though. Don’t jump on the latest trend, cause or issue for the sake of it. Only do it if it aligns with your values and beliefs.
Be reactive
Reactive marketing is a great way to boost the engagement rate on content. Joining in on trending conversations and giving your followers the opportunity to have their say will create inclusivity and a great sense of community. It’s also a perfect way to join in on the funny lighthearted trends too – remember not every post needs to be ‘salesy’.
TikTok
As mentioned above, with more than three billion downloads, TikTok is currently the biggest social media platform and is extremely popular with Gen Z. Brands should be on this app (as an addition to other marketing channels) if they want to attract attention from Gen Z. Joining in on trending sounds and ideas will help get your content in front of this younger generation.
Short form video
One of the most important things to keep in mind when marketing to Gen Zers is their short attention span (around eight seconds!). That’s why TikTok is such a popular platform with Gen Z, with creators being able to share clips as short as five seconds. Other platforms like Instagram have been taking notes from TikTok and now have Reels. Any short form video content you can create can be on any social platform, and it’s likely TikTok will continue to lead the way in content creation across all social media channels.
Influencer marketing
Building trust is key, and influencer marketing can be a great tool to do this. We all value what other customers say, and often trawl through the reviews before making a purchase. Influencer marketing is essentially the next level up from a written testimonial. If you can get social media influencers to rate your products or services and share videos or photos reviewing your brand, their followers will be more likely to buy from you as well.
Don’t be afraid to break the mould
Over the past few years we’ve seen a number of brands becoming more human. It’s often the brands that think outside the box and take risks that get the most engagement and interaction, especially from the Gen Z audience. The likes of Duolingo, Ryanair, Aldi and Innocent Drinks all share meme-centric content across their social platforms and their audiences really lap it up.
Here are some examples of these brands’ best performing TikToks to date:
Innocent Drinks – 705.4K views & 136.3K likes (account has 114.1K followers)
@innocentdrinks We got 57 problems but breakfast ain’t one. #buysmoothies #england #youaintgotthenerve ♬ Rango the chain - mr_gameclips
Duo Lingo – 27.8 million views & 5.6 million likes (account has 4.7 million followers)
@duolingo every time you open Google Translate, I lose a feather. #duolingo #swiftok #enchanted #languagelearning #trend #brandtok #comedy ♬ Enchanted Taylor Swift - Kaylen
Ryanair – 5.5 million views & 566.1K likes (account has 1.4 million followers)
@ryanair Bestie how else will I make bank i’m sorry🤧 #ryanair #airline #traveleurope #cabincrew ♬ umm.. yeah - andrew
How can QBD help you target your marketing to the right audience?
Gen Z is the most diverse and digitally savvy generation. They are also highly entrepreneurial, with one study from Nielsen finding that around 54% of Gen Z indicated they wanted to start their own company. As a result, they are more likely to be sceptical of advertising and marketing messages. Instead, they want to know the story behind a product.
For these reasons, it’s important for marketers to understand how Gen Zers think and behave in order to be effective at marketing to them.
As a result, you need to be able to identify who your target audience is and what their needs are before you can create an effective marketing campaign for them.
Having a social media account for your brand is crucial, not only to target Gen Z, but the majority of your customers too.
We’ll work with you to understand your business and your ambitions, before creating a bespoke social media solution that makes the right impact on the right platforms, to deliver the results you’re looking for.
Our team of experts can also help you build on your brand identity and messaging so your marketing materials, digital content & website are all optimised to target the right audience. Whether you’re looking to clarify your message, realign your branding with your communications, or bring more consistency across your marketing and content with a brand promise that people buy into, QBD can help.