Wondering how your brand can reach and convert those in the Gen Z crowd?
Marketing to younger generations (such as those in Gen Z) is different from marketing to those in older generations. They have different needs and interests. Different types of content resonate with them.
Not only that, but Gen Z has different expectations of a brand than what those in older generations expect. Specifically, Gen Z craves brands that are more focused on building authentic connections and less focused on selling to them directly. That’s why you need to tweak your content and marketing approach accordingly if you want to win over this particular generation.
And as your target market is growing up, it’s going to be more important for you to speak directly to Gen Z to secure them as your customers. Otherwise, you might lose them to a competitor. After all, it’s Gen Z who is making up the potential consumers and future workforce, so they can’t be ignored.
Now the question is, how do you win over Gen Z?
In this post, you’ll discover seven Gen Z marketing strategies to implement for your brand. These strategies will help you position your brand in a favorable light, while also allowing you to effectively reach this younger crowd, ultimately introducing them to your brand and its offers.
Who is Gen Z and Why Should You Market to Them?
Trying to differentiate between each of the generations can be a little tricky. So, what exactly makes someone fall into the Gen Z category? Well, those who are part of Gen Z are born between 1997 and 2012. They currently make up about 25.9% of the U.S. population.
This younger generation is one that brands shouldn’t ignore when it comes to marketing their products and services, as they’ll have a big influence on the economy moving forward. In the future, they’re the ones who are going to be looking to buy the types of products and services your brand has to offer.
What makes Gen Z so interesting is that they’re the most racially and ethnically diverse of all the generations. Plus, their spending power is estimated to be a whopping $140 billion. For that reason, many companies are trying hard to win over Gen Z. And you should be doing the same.
7 Gen Z Marketing Strategies to Implement
If you aren’t part of Gen Z yourself, you might not have a clear understanding of what this powerhouse generation is all about. What grabs their attention? What will interest them and motivate them? To ensure you’re effectively reaching this segment of your audience, there are seven Gen Z marketing strategies you can begin using. Here are some suggestions:
1. Be Open About Brand Values and Your Mission
Now more than ever, consumers want to know and trust the brands they’re buying from. As a result, they expect their favorite brands to speak up about political and social issues. And this has become especially true for those in Gen Z. They want to support brands that have values they believe in and many are more discerning when it comes to where they’re spending their money.
This means it’s time for you to speak up about the values your brand holds near and dear and to be open about your company’s mission overall. Many brands have been afraid to do this for fear of alienating parts of their audience that disagree with their views. However, standing firm in your values is a sure-fire way to establish loyalty among those who do agree with you.
To do this effectively, be willing to talk about what’s going on in the world by sharing your stance on the latest topics in the news. Discuss whom you support politically and why. Share your opinions on any social movements that are currently happening. You can even publicize which organizations your company regularly donates money to. It’s also worth noting that 45% of Gen Z choose to shop with eco-friendly and socially responsible brands. Sharing where your brand stands on the issues might win you some new Gen Z customers!
2. Cultivate a Brand Personality
If you aren’t sure what your brand’s personality is, it’s time to change that. If you’re not familiar with what that means, your brand’s personality is the human characteristics you choose to attribute to it. Or to put it simply, it’s how you would describe your brand to someone if your brand were a person. This personality is then shone through your content, messaging, and any marketing campaigns you run.
So, what is your brand’s personality? Choose three to five characteristics to describe how you want others to view your brand. If it helps, ask yourself what you’d like them to say about your brand when discussing it with a friend. For example, you might resonate with traits such as passionate, adventurous, enthusiastic, and bold. It’s totally up to you!
If appropriate for your brand, consider showcasing your sense of humor. Gen Z values brands they consider to be “cool and fun,” which means embracing this side of your brand could help you stand out from your competitors. No more being bland! Share the occasional humorous post to get people to crack a smile or laugh. One of the easiest ways to do this is through the GIFs and memes you share, particularly on social media. Or you could take it a step further with sassy comments, much like Wendy’s does with their incredibly popular Twitter account.
3. Prioritize Building Your Community
When it comes to social media, is there any bigger turn-off than a brand that doesn’t engage with its community? Probably not! It’s the brands that take the time to have genuine conversations with those in their target audience that stand out above the rest. That’s because they’re able to get to know them on a deeper level and then create stronger content and offerings that appeal to them.
One of the best Gen Z marketing strategies you can implement is to talk to your community and establish an authentic connection with them. This shows that you’re listening to them and that you care about their feedback. The more connected Gen Z feels with your brand, the more likely they’ll be to purchase something from you in the future.
You can easily have conversations with them in the comments section of your content, whether it’s on your blog, YouTube, or social media. Prompt them to leave comments by asking questions to get the conversation started. And if you want to take it a step further, consider inviting a few people to hop on market research calls for one-on-one conversations.
4. Always Hold Yourself Accountable
Mistakes are bound to happen. One wrong post could cause major damage to your brand’s reputation, which is why you have to be careful before publishing any piece of content. But what are you to do when a mistake does happen? Well, Gen Z and other generations expect you to hold yourself accountable for your actions.
Should you make a mistake, don’t take too long to acknowledge it. Instead, formulate an appropriate response and post it as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more irritated your audience will become as they wonder why you haven’t addressed their concerns.
Express your sincerest apologies for any wrongdoing and outline how you plan to make changes moving forward. Not only does this show you’re taking accountability, but it lets them know you intend to do better in the future. These days, it’s all about showing others how you plan to make a difference moving forward. This could be exactly what you need to keep your audience from turning their backs on you should you ever find yourself in a negative situation.
5. Focus on Creating Visual Content
It’s no secret that TikTok is all the rage these days and it’s most popular with the Gen Z crowd. Those between the ages of 18 and 24 years old make up 43% of TikTok’s global audience, which means they’re Gen Z. TikTok’s popularity among this generation is proof that they love short-form, visual content. So, this is one of the most important Gen Z marketing strategies to use if you want to reach them.
As a brand, consider what types of short-form videos you can create that can be uploaded to both TikTok and Instagram Reels because using both platforms will help you expand your reach. You could easily film videos that introduce yourself and your team, offer actionable advice, or promote your products and services. No need to dance to trending sounds unless you want to!
Overall, the key here is to prioritize creating snackable content. You want something short and sweet that will grab their attention and hold it before they move on to something else. And the best way to do this is through short-form videos like those on TikTok and Instagram Reels since those are two of the most popular platforms among the Gen Z crowd.
6. Use the Platforms They’re Favoring
When implementing Gen Z marketing strategies, it’s crucial that you’re most active on the platforms they’re using. If you’re investing all your time and energy into the platforms they don’t frequent, you’re not going to be able to easily reach them.
The top three social media platforms among Gen Z are Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. If your brand isn’t using all three of those, you may want to consider revisiting your marketing strategy to see how you can incorporate whichever platforms you’re not currently on.
Of those three, Snapchat is likely the one you’re most unsure about. However, you don’t need to be posting to Snapchat and using funny filters to get the attention of those in the Gen Z community. Instead, you might consider running different types of Snapchat ads to introduce your brand to your target audience who is actively using the platform.
7. Try Influencer Marketing
Working with an established influencer to spread the word about your brand and its offerings is one of the more popular Gen Z marketing strategies these days. For one, having an influencer talk about your brand allows you to leverage the audience they’ve already built. A single post can help you generate tons of exposure and brand awareness in a matter of minutes.
Also, influencers are respected by Gen Z. Nearly two-thirds of this generation say they follow influencers on social media and 50% say they trust their recommendations. That’s a good reason to give this strategy a go! However, you just need to know how to make it work for you.
You don’t want to work with just any influencer. It’s important to choose someone whose audience you want to target, so you’ll need to do some research to see what percentage of their community is Gen Z if you’re hoping to easily reach them. You’ll also want to choose influencers that are aligned with your brand’s overall mission and values. Plus, it’s important to work with someone you can trust to deliver quality content so their posts are a positive reflection on your brand.
Influencers can run full-blown campaigns with your brand on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. And these campaigns can include standard feed posts, short-form Reels or TikToks, or Instagram Stories. It’s all about determining what will resonate the most with your Gen Z audience.
Implementing These Gen Z Marketing Strategies
Just because you aren’t part of Gen Z, it doesn’t mean you can’t effectively appeal to them through your content and marketing efforts. You simply need to learn what speaks to this unique generation so you can convert them into customers for your business. Use these Gen Z marketing strategies to get your brand in front of them and position yourself in a favorable light. You’ll be sure to win them over!
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