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The wheels of the world change direction with every passing day. Where brands were earlier found to be scratching their heads trying to decode the behavior of millennials, we can now see them diverting their efforts to catch the big fish - Generation Z. But why is there a sudden change in marketing efforts? Who is Gen Z, and what makes them such an ideal consumer base for businesses to attract? Find answers to all your queries and the top 10 effective marketing strategies for attracting Gen Z consumers below. Who is Gen Z? Generation Z, or Gen Z, more famously called, is the group born after the millennials. Also referred to as the iGeneration or Zoomers, this generation is moving toward the workforce. Born between 1995 and 2010, this cohort represents a large global consumer market. As of 2023, Exploding Topics suggests that 68.6 million people fall under the umbrella of Generation Z in the US alone. This figure is expected to rise to 85 million by 2025, overtaking the millennials. Compared to the millennials, Gen Z is expected to be a more educated generation and are tech-savvy, most of whom have little or no knowledge of a world without Internet access. It makes them the generation that is so far the most comfortable communicating via the Internet or social media, spending most of their time on smartphones than sitting in front of a television. With all the generations that have appeared before them, Gen Zers are considered to be social-driven and digitally forward. Why Should Brands Target Gen Zers? In the quest to top, brands worldwide continually edit their marketing strategies to engage with the right audience. Gen Z, the most digitally native consumers, is on the pathway to soon acquire a large chunk of the global consumer base. This makes it integral for businesses to craft their marketing strategies keeping these individuals, their interests, and their consumer behavior in mind. Following are a few reasons why targeting Gen Zers can be a favorable move for your business. 85 million consumers in the US will be Gen Zers by 2025 As suggested by 99Firms, the consumer landscape will soon present an imminent shift by 2025, with Gen Zers making up 85 million consumers in the US. Thus, businesses must understand this generation to stay afloat in the upcoming years and beyond. Gen Zers wield buying power of $44 billion. With Gen Zers spending most of their time on digital platforms, it is clear that they are the prime prey for brands’ digital marketing efforts. Not only that, but they also collectively wield purchasing power of $44 billion. With the population of Gen Zers expected to increase in the coming years, this figure will only multiply further. Hence, companies need to polish their marketing preferences for Generation Z to direct this flow of buying power toward their brands. Gen Z influences around $600 billion in family expenses Since Gen Zers are considered the most informed individuals about current trends, different brands, and their specialties, it is only natural for their families to base their spending on their advice. This means that Gen Z will most likely influence the spending habits of those around them. Be it furniture, food, household goods, or apparel, a survey by IBM states that 70% of Gen Zers play a role in family decisions concerning these fields. Long-term Customer Value Appealing to the Gen Z market can create long-lasting relationships between customers and brands. As individuals that are still pretty young, with the oldest of them being college graduates or just entering the workforce, Gen Zers will probably be the most persistent consumer force. Additionally, 99Firms reveals that 39% of Gen Zers would feel loyal to a brand that aligns with their style. Another 31% claimed loyalty to brands supporting movements they stood up for. According to Hootsuite, 61% of Gen Z consumers willingly pay extra for brands they believe in, while 71% would pay no heed to the mistakes of brands they trust. Trendsetters As we’ve discussed before, Gen Z users form the largest chunk of social media traffic. Thus, the easiest way for brands to make anything go viral is by shaping their marketing strategies with the Gen Z audience in mind. Such brands have a higher chance of gaining widespread traction and visibility. Moreover, Gen Zers are also considered to be early adopters of products, trends, or services. This creates a domino effect, extending free promotions to consumers other than a brand’s target audience. Ripple Effect Gen Zers can amplify content much better than most marketing tactics. They love sharing content that appeals to them on their socials. Therefore, brands that create content designed for the Gen Z market have a better chance of expanding their reach. This is possible due to the ripple effect created when Gen Zers reshare that content on their social networks. Not only does this elevate brand visibility, but it also boosts the viral potential of each business. A pathway to innovation While Gen Zers hold great business potential, it’s not always easy to please them. However, the promise of unprecedented benefits concerned with winning over the Gen Z public pushes brands to challenge their traditional ways and step into innovation. Besides that, the Gen Z market values creativity and uniqueness in a business. Hence, it’s easier for brands to stay ahead of their competition and dominate the stage of relevance by adapting their techniques to the Gen Z way of thinking and experimenting. Locate Your Gen Z Audience: What Social Media Platforms Do They Use The Most? It’s no surprise that Gen Zers love using social media. But most brands fail to realize that they use different social media platforms for other purposes. Brands that understand what Gen Z customers expect on each platform have a winning edge over those unaware. Here are the top 3 social media platforms used by Gen Zs and their unique expectations from each platform that can help you alter your social media marketing services accordingly. YouTube (88%) As indicated by Influencer Marketing Hub, 88% of Gen Zs have YouTube as their go-to social media platform. A generation that grew up experiencing the worst effects of global warming and world terrorism, and is also burdened by rising inflation, needs nothing more than exploring fun, catchy content on their phones. This makes entertainment the prime reason for the influx of Gen Z traffic on YouTube, with 50% of Gen Zs claiming that they can’t function without YouTube, as reported by Adweek. Meanwhile, 66% of the Gen Z audience scrolls through the digital platform looking at “how-to” videos, and 51% browse for content that would give them a good laugh. Besides entertainment, influencer fever is another reason for YouTube’s appeal to Gen Zs. Influencer videos make Gen Zers establish a personal connection with the influencer, wherein they feel less alone in their individual lives. Lastly, educative content lies in the top 3 of the most sought-after YouTube content by Gen Zers. They go straight to YouTube when seeking help, regardless of the task. 68% of Gen Zs have testified to acquiring helpful skills from YouTube. Instagram (76%) Instagram is seen as the hub of social media by Gen Zers. While most people believe that Instagram traffic is diverting to TikTok, the fact that it lies in second place with 76% of Gen Zers using the app states otherwise. Gen Z seeks authentic connections. Instagram gives them a platform to forge such relationships by interacting with individuals with shared interests and building supportive communities. Apart from that, Instagram is a chest full of creative tools such as Instagram stories, posts, IGTV, and reels, enabling Gen Z to unleash their artistic talent to the world. Moreover, features like polls and quizzes encourage interaction and form the base for self-expression. Lastly, Gen Z is passionate about standing up for their beliefs and making a difference. Instagram offers them a platform to raise their voices for a specific cause and awareness for a social reason. TikTok (68%) Last is the social media platform you all have been waiting for. TikTok comes third in the Gen Z social media favorability poll with 68% of votes and nearly surpasses Snapchat, which has 67% of Gen Z approval. Despite being at number three, TikTok is regarded as the home of Gen Zers, with 43% of global traffic ranging between users who are 18-24 years of age. Not only that, but the buzz of TikTok is so far-reaching that it’s started rivaling Google as a search engine. Gen Zs expect TikTok to provide an unbiased collection of results for their search queries or the content they’re looking for. This is a major reason why paid ad campaigns are doomed on TikTok unless you hire expert paid advertising services. Instead, users expect organic content created by brands collaborating with content creators or influencers as an ideal way to connect and promote their products and services. Top 10 Effective Marketing Strategies for Gen Z Consumers Effective marketing requires a profound understanding of your target audience: Who are they? Where can you find them? And what are they looking for? So far, we’ve covered all three questions that can help expand your knowledge of your Gen Z audience. As far as marketing to them in a way that resonates with them is concerned, here are the top 10 tips and marketing tactics that are sure sellers. So let’s get started! Create Eye-Catching Content The attention span of Gen Z is estimated to be eight seconds at most. They will either discard or acknowledge your days of planning and efforts in under 10 seconds. Thus, the only way to ensure your hard work isn’t tossed into the gutter is by making your content captivating for users. The best form of content in this regard is one that relays information succinctly. Memes or short-form videos are excellent examples of such content. The more visual the information and with less text as possible, the better. The objective is to get your message across quickly or lose your customers forever. Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your content mobile friendly. As reported by War Room Inc, 98% of Gen Zs own a smartphone, with 55% using it for more than five hours daily. Be More Interactive With Your Marketing Interaction is the key to connecting with Gen Z. These individuals don’t just want brands to see them as money-making tools. They would rather appreciate being part of a community. The best way to accomplish this is to incorporate infographics your audience can learn from and use daily. For personalization and forging a connection, you can take your audience behind the scenes of your workspace and show them how products are made, packed, and delivered to your doorstep. The goal is to derive techniques to make your followers a part of your production and product development processes. Another way to engage with your consumers is by encouraging participation and sparking conversations through polls, Q&A sessions, or quizzes. Content that fosters creativity has a higher chance of succeeding Gen Z and influencing their buying decisions. Ensure that it's easy for your audience to interact with you. Any unnecessary hurdles to audience participation must be eliminated to emphasize inclusion and verify that your social pages, blogs, or websites are user-friendly. Support the Right Tags Leveraging the right tags in your marketing tactics benefits your brand in more ways than one. Not only does it gather all relevant posts under the same hashtag, but it also persuades your audience to take part in a specific type of content. Creating a brand-focused hashtag helps you inflate your reach. It forms a separate community for like-minded individuals to share their creativity, raise their voices, or participate in a social cause. For instance, the #ShareACoke campaign and #inmyfeelingschallenge are two marvelous examples of using relevant hashtags to raise awareness, promote, and form a close connection with the audience. Besides creating a new hashtag, you can use existing hashtags relevant to your content to stand for social issues. It helps consumers see that your brand isn’t only about sales but also uses its platform to raise awareness about societal concerns. Video Marketing For The Win J&L Marketing states that most Gen Z social media users prefer video content, with 61% of the audience consuming content that lasts a minute or less. Similarly, 50% are willing to watch videos lasting two to five minutes. This proves that Gen Zers love video content, with a higher preference for short-form videos, whether uploaded to Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Snapchat. Incorporate overlays, music, filters, and visual effects to make your content more eye-catching and compelling for users to stay until the end. A remarkable way to do that is by making the first few seconds exceptionally exciting to leave the viewer wanting more. Captions and thumbnails are an indispensable part of video marketing. So is authenticity if you want to attract Gen Z. Invite real people to participate in your marketing campaigns to keep your audience hooked. Partnering with influencers is an excellent tactic here since it checks off the real people box while allowing your brand to benefit from a new wave of customers. Ensure you’re collaborating with influencers whose content syncs with your marketing objectives. Invest in the Community Taking measures to improve your community, online or personally, distinguishes your brand as more than just a slogan on a wall. Whether it’s your employees, customers, locales, followers, or advocates, when a business supports its community, it is seen as more than a profit maximizer only. Direct your budget and resources toward promoting relationships and constructing meaningful interactions. Genuinely striving to nurture your community leads to impactful, heartfelt stories that enhance your brand value. Utilize the Comment Section Your organic marketing strategy isn’t confined to social media posts only. It’s also determined by how well you interact with content that resonates with your target audience. The comment section is the epicenter of entertainment on the top Gen Z preferred socials such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Furthermore, brands can participate in customer discussions through captions and liking or replying to their comments, creating an interactive space for users. Commenting on celebrity or viral videos is another spectacular method of getting your brand noticed. Besides integrating your marketing strategy into your comment section, you can also derive a marketing strategy from the comment section. Take a look at what customers are saying about your products. You can use them as positive feedback on your page and even make alterations to your products according to customer complaints and requests, making sure that they feel heard by you. Broadcast Your Beliefs and Values Gen Z is up-to-date with environmental, socio-economic, and political concerns impacting the world today. They stand up for such issues and support brands who do the same. When making their purchasing decisions, Gen Zers choose to spend their money and promote socially responsible brands. Hence, one way of connecting with Gen Z is by ensuring that your core values and the steps you can take to improve the world are fused in your marketing campaigns. Nike, for instance, paid homage to the Black Lives Matter Movement by broadcasting the expression, “For once, don't do it. Don't pretend there's not a problem in America. Don't turn your back on racism." Such social mobilization enables a brand to leave a mark on its Gen Z audience. Gen Z aims to verify that their purchases support brands taking steps to build a better world and stay true to their commitments. Use The Influencer Card Today, influencer marketing is at the height of its popularity, with brands flocking to partner with influencers to promote their brands. Thus integrating influencers into your marketing strategies has become a priority for businesses targeting Gen Z. HubSpot states that around 72% of the Gen Z audience on social media follows influencers to learn about the hottest new trends in products and services. Meanwhile, 52% of Gen Zers trust the recommendations of influencers when shopping online. Not only that, influencer marketing is an excellent way to save on your content marketing services. You can repurpose influencer-generated content across all social platforms and build a collection of valuable content without spending a lump sum of money on it. Moreover, 63% of Zoomers automatically form a trusting association with a brand after an influencer they trust recommends its products. This stems from an Ecommerce Fastlane report that 68% of Gen Zers believe influencer product reviews are more credible than paid ads. Make the Most of Reviews and Customer Feedback If you can trust Gen Z to do one thing, it is to leave honest reviews concerning what they feel about your products and services. When customer service or product quality is below par, they often leave a negative review about it and vice versa. This is why Gen Zers trust online reviews as much, if not more, than influencer recommendations. 82% of them will go forth with their purchase after reading a positive review on social media. Thus, incorporating stellar reviews into your marketing strategy can boost your brand’s reputation and establish customer credibility. This user-generated content showcases an authentic and unfiltered image of your brand. Even if your followers aren’t interacting with your pages, you can still repurpose existing reviews to foster customer trust. Don’t Stop Experimenting Social media is an ever-evolving landscape with new networks entering the market, added features, and budding trends. However, despite these additions, you can always expect Gen Zers to be on top of the latest changes, owing to their tech-savvy minds. Brands can keep up by blending strategic, far-sighted planning with generous adaptability. It’s time to move on from when you could design a month’s content plan in a single day. Instead, leave ample room for experimentation to achieve a successful marketing campaign for Gen Zers. Once again, this doesn’t mean you should discard your original plans entirely. It’s vital to stay connected to the values and objectives that shape your strategy. But a bit of flexibility in crafting those tactics would do the deed. Gen Z Trends to Consider Understanding some popular trends among Gen Zers today is integral to effectively marketing your products and services. Here are a few ideas that are all the rage today. The Echoes of Diversity How brands approach diversity and their stance on the topic matters greatly to Gen Zers. Hence, to connect with them, brands must portray an authentic inclusion of people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and genders. The Impact of Influencer It cannot be stressed enough how much Gen Zers trust influencers to promote a brand’s products. On the other hand, content creators can help brands expand their reach and boost sales with their adept knowledge of what the Gen Z market is looking for. Communication Through Memes Memes are an indispensable part of the Gen Z language. Thus, fusing memes into your marketing strategy can effectively convey your message if you wish to stay culturally relevant. They have a higher chance of going viral, making your brand appear more trendy and engaging. Similarly, they also make brand interactions appear less scripted and money-focused. Final Thoughts The key takeaway is that Gen Zers don’t live under a rock. We’ve mentioned substantial data concerning what they expect and look for concerning marketing and spending money. Statistics reveal that Gen Z's population, purchasing power, and influence are expanding daily. Thus, to sum it all up, the best way to target them is through the wise use of platforms and features stemming from authenticity.