Do you GET Gen Z?
With Generation Z coming into their own as consumers, many brands and industries are worrying about how they will engage these new customers. It has become clearer over the past few years that the same bag of marketing tricks used on millennials will not be working on these savvy youngsters.
But don’t stress – we’ve listed five aspects that will influence Gen Z buying habits in 2020.
Who is Gen Z?
This massive group of people born between 1995 and 2012 are no walkovers and understanding them is critical for your business.
Gen Z is expected to comprise up to 40% of all consumers in the U.S, Europe and the BRIC countries. So if you want the attention of these young people, you are going to have to pull out all the stops to impress them. More importantly, you have to understand them.
Be impactful and aware
Generation Z is more aware of the problems society faces today than any other generation before. They demand companies be socially and environmentally responsible. If you want to stay relevant and competitive, your brand or business will have to be part of something bigger and serve a purpose, instead of just making money. Openly share your brand’s vision and mission to attract these young customers.
Video marketing
Pay special attention to video marketing, because Gen Z loves video. However, avoid long-form content that’s difficult to consume and rather focus on bite-sized content. Platforms like, Tik Tok, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Stories are all great platforms for snackable content.
Get influencers
Generation Z isn’t always interested in traditional advertising and simply telling them that your brand is great unfortunately won’t cut it. This generation is more inclined to believe your brand is great when their peers or someone of stature tells them so. If you want their attention, watch who they follow and get these influencers to promote your brand.
Be real and don’t waste time
With Gen Z, every second is precious and you’ll have to get to your point fast, while bearing in mind that these young people appreciate authenticity. Because the average attention span of Gen Z is measured at 8 seconds, you should make a habit of staying away from long, boring text. Instead, take advantage of visuals and don’t be afraid to spice up short-form text with memes, emojis and GIFs.
Real people and authentic experiences are what Gen Z want and like. They also like ads that show diverse families models – but be wary of ads that make life look perfect; not all Gen Z consumers find that appealing.
Mobile experience is everything
The cell phone is Generation Z’s most used device, so it makes sense that businesses need to optimize for mobile devices. Create content with mobile devices in mind and simplify your customer’s mobile experience. Use shorter sentences, subheadings and bullet points. Also, make sure that your pages are easily navigable.
This generation is honest, straightforward, extremely creative and doesn’t feel pressured by cultural norms. Generation Z demands brands to be MORE.
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