Marketing to Gen Z: Tips to Help Get You Started

As a digital marketer, you know that rules and tactics are always changing. It can feel hard to keep up, especially navigating the waters of marketing to a new, unknown generation of customers, Generation Z.

Who is Generation Z?

Generation Z includes anyone born after 1995, and according to Campaign Monitor, they’re expected to make up 40% of all customers by 2020. And as this generation is growing up and making purchase decisions, successfully marketing to them becomes even more crucial.

The most important things to note about Generation Z are:

• They are the first generation of smartphone natives. 
• They’ve lived with social media practically their whole lives and don’t remember a time without it. 
• They have short attention spans and if it’s not online, they don’t want it.

You may be feeling forced to integrate even more social media tactics into your digital marketing plans; Instagram, Snapchat, and who knows what else, to engage with these new customers. But don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it seems.

How Do I Market Successfully to Generation Z?

The truth is, marketing to Generation Z won’t be any more daunting than marketing to Millennials, Baby Boomers, or any other generation that came before them. You just have to make sure you’re using appropriate strategies to really catch their attention.

Implement Social Media Into Your Strategy.

First, social media is a must when marketing to Generation Z. But every social media platform should be used differently, with a unique posting strategy for each channel. For example, most members of Generation Z use Instagram to show their artistic sides, posting quotes and pictures making their daily lives look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Whereas Facebook is used primarily to get information.

Don’t Count Out Email Marketing Just Yet.

Next, Email marketing may be more practical than you may think. According to Campaign Monitor, most members of Generation Z prefer to receive marketing emails from brands a couple of times a week. This shows that email is still an effective way to engage and capture the attention of Generation Z. And email users within this generation will only continue to grow once they enter the workforce.

Integrate Moveable Content and Develop a YouTube Strategy.

Video and stimulating graphics are key if you want to keep Generation Z engaged. According to Campaign Monitor and the Pew Research Institute, the social media platform used most by members of Generation Z is YouTube. While your company should be on YouTube and post frequently if you’re looking to attract Generation Z, this is not the only way to gain their attention through video. Try adding videos, moving graphics, or gifs into your social media content on Facebook or Instagram.

Don’t Be Afraid to Hit Refresh on Your Marketing Strategy for Gen Z.

With every new generation comes a whole new trial period to figure out what really works when marketing to them. This is no different with Generation Z. In the long run, if you market to them correctly, you’ll have a whole new group of loyal consumers to grow your business with.

Schedule a meeting with us today to start implementing all of these tactics we just talked about! Talk to a strategist today!