They say the secret to successful marketing lies in knowing your audience. It is a well-known fact that sales largely depend on demand.
Subsequently, marketing strategies will always be inclined toward what the consumer wants. Without this knowledge, it’s practically impossible to have a successful business, no matter how great your marketing strategies may be.
No one can refute that these days, the era of Gen Z has taken over. So, it’s no surprise everyone wants to market to Gen Z. However, one thing to note is that traditional marketing strategies will not necessarily work on Gen Z.
Feeling a little frazzled about what to do? Fret not! This article will give you all you need to know about successful marketing toward Gen Z in 2023.
Who is Gen Z?
Gen Z is a powerful consumer contingent. But what exactly do you mean by the term Gen Z and what population demographic does the term apply to?
Simply put, Gen Z or Generation Z is the generation that comes just after the Millennials. This applies to everyone born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The older Gen Z have graduated, entered the workforce, and have even started families.
Although every new generation is bound to be different in some way from the last, the difference or distinction is especially prominent in Generation Z. The drastically diverse and different world they have grown up in has shaped their outlook, their tendencies as well as their personalities.
To understand the Gen Z population better, let’s take a look at some of their core characteristics or attributes of Gen Z:
1. Diversity
Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation to have ever existed in history. As a result, their perspective has been shaped by a culmination of varied experiences. Diversity is the norm.
2. Digital Natives
Millennials may have been considered ‘digital pioneers’, but Gen Z is a Digital Native. Born into the era where technology peaked, the life of every Gen Z has been shrouded in one way or another by digital advancement.
3. Financial Mindedness
Having witnessed the older generations through many financial crises, Gen Z is driven by pragmatism and security. Due to this, another core characteristic of Gen Z is financial mindedness.
4. Privacy
Existing in the era of social media, most Gen Z values their right to privacy. The internet is a double-edged sword, and although it comes with perks, it has its fair share of cons. This has made Gen Z aware of the need for privacy.
5. Shrewdness
Gen Z primarily rely on their extensive social networks and tech savvyness to make informed purchasing decisions. They explore and evaluate a wide range of options before settling on a final decision.
6. Progressive
Gen Z are open-minded regarding many matters, such as LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, mental health, and more. This generation has embraced liberty, change, and empathy.
Since Generation Z has grown up in the midst of technological advancement and is native to the digital world, it’s also common knowledge that social media has become a staple for this generation.
Marketers who target the youth demographic know how instrumental social media is when it comes to Gen Z. However, with all the various social media networks that exist today, what are the prominent platforms you should pay attention to target Gen Z? Let’s find out!
Social Media Platforms that Gen Z Marketers Should Use the Most
1. Instagram
Contrary to Facebook, Instagram has not lost popularity amongst Gen Z. A statistic shows that 92 % of Gen Z used the app in 2021 out of which 78% frequented the app daily. This data speaks for itself. If a brand can gain traction on Instagram for any product, it is guaranteed that the product or service will have exposure and do well in sales if advertised the right way on Instagram.
2. Twitter
Twitter is popular amongst Gen Z because of how direct it is. No complicated posts or algorithms, expressing a thought or an opinion is only one tweet away. A survey by Voxburner reported that 64% of Gen Z use Twitter, of which 45% use it at least once a week. Directly engaging with consumers using this social media platform is a smart move to reach out to Gen Z in 2023.
3. TikTok
This app has a strong influence, especially on the younger demographic of the Gen Z population. Anything that goes viral on Tiktok, whether it’s a recipe or dance trend, is immediately incorporated into an account’s ‘For You’ page. So, as a marketer, if you know your way around TikTok and can efficiently market your product or service using it, your sales are bound to skyrocket.
4. YouTube
YouTube is another social media platform that Generation Z frequents. Smart marketers know which content creator to contact and what influencers will be fit to advertise their products. Successful brands connect with the right YouTubers which boosts advertisement in the best way possible, ensuring both exposure and profitability.
5. Snapchat
An estimate showed that about 71% of Gen Z use Snapchat daily, with 51% opening the app an average of at least 11 times per day. Because Snapchat is a more fun version of direct messaging, if you can smoothly incorporate ads into this platform, you will be sure to have an impact on Gen Z.
Marketing to Gen Z might seem challenging because they are shrewd consumers. Coupled with this, the fact that traditional marketing strategies don’t work on this demographic often has brands in a slump.
In the next section, we’ve listed the 5 best practices you can implement while trying to market to this generation!
Gen Z Marketing Best Practices |How To Market?
1. Aesthetics
If you want to successfully market to Gen Z, the focus should be on aesthetics. Visual appeal goes a long way, so you must emphasize eye-catching, visually aesthetic content.
The top two social media platforms most frequented by Gen Z are Instagram and YouTube. This is because both platforms use short-form video content such as YouTube reels and Instagram stories. Both these features allow for content that can be consumed quickly (because Gen Z does not have the time or attention span for long, winded videos).
If you can curate the perfect balance of aesthetically pleasing and attention-grabbing content for marketing, you have won half the race.
2. Interactive Content
Piggybacking off on what has been mentioned earlier, if you want content that captures attention, then leaning toward interactive content is the way to go. Long gone are the days when a brand can show a scripted advertisement acted out on television.
If you want to impact Generation Z effectively, your content has to be interactive. Gen Z wants to feel included in the customer journey and not just be a faceless consumer. So, whether tapping, swiping, or clicking, you should think of innovative ways to market products or services interactively.
3. Timing
Timing is everything regarding marketing to Gen Z. There’s this term called FOMO (which means Fear of Missing Out). Learning to tap into this FOMO is a power move when marketing to Generation Z.
If you’re wondering how to do this, the answer is simple, make your advertisements time-sensitive. There’s just something about scarcity that triggers a need in us humans.
The words ‘limited edition’ or ‘only available during/at’ have always been successful in creating a frenzy amongst consumers. The same applies to Gen Z. So, try to incorporate the practice of time-sensitive engagement with Gen Z.
4. Leverage Tags
Another great practice you can implement while marketing to Gen Z is using tags. By this, we mean specifically Instagram tags. This is another way of making the consumer feel included.
A great example is how Uniqlo dedicates a separate Instagram story highlight showing off customers who use the hashtags #Uniqlo or #LifeWear.
Other ways you can leverage the use of tags is – by asking customers to tag friends or family, which is great to increase following for any brand, or even just enabling customers to tag themselves at a brand’s physical location.
5. Sense of Humor
Humor goes a long way when it comes to sales. If a post is humorous, it’s bound to gain traction. Note that it’s important to note that Gen Z’s sense of humor differs from those of the previous generations.
Make sure your joke does not fall flat. In this regard, it’s wise to include actual Gen Zs in the creative process of marketing. From witty responses to catchy taglines, let your brand have a distinct voice. Remember, not to be too uptight or take yourself too seriously if you want to market to Generation Z successfully.
For Generation Z, using social media to keep up with almost everything is second nature to them. Successful brands have honed in on this and made a fortune in marketing.
We’ve curated 4 marketing trends that you should incorporate today to market towards this demographic successfully.
Gen Z Marketing Trends That You Should Incorporate Today
1. Personalization
Brands are leaning more towards content that is personal and involves contact in some way with consumers. This trend of personalizing content is so popular because it just works.
Generation Z wants to feel connected to the brands they buy from. The desire to belong is what creates this need. If, as a brand, you can tap into this need of the target consumer, then you will never have to worry about the state of sales or the loyalty of customers.
Incorporate this trend of personalized content in your marketing endeavors in 2023 and success is bound to follow.
2. Influencers
When it comes to Gen Z, Influencers are the new celebrities. Back then, brands would pay huge amounts of money to get influencers to endorse their brands.
The trend has changed, and influencers have taken over this role. You have to note that every niche is different; reaching out to the right content creators makes a difference. So, in 2023, if you want to successfully market to Generation Z, hop on the trend of getting influencers to quite literally influence the target consumers.
3. Purpose
The most successful brands today are ones that operate with well-defined ethos in place. Gen Z contrasts with older generations in that they want brands to stand for something, not just exist for the sole purpose of business.
A new and effective trend is brands taking a stand on social justice. Gen Z is a diverse demographic that values diversity and emphasizes social justice.
So, a smart move would be to take a liberal stance on trending issues and market accordingly. However, make sure that whatever stance you take on whatever issue comes from a place of genuine care. There is nothing Gen Z hates more than just pandering for the sole purpose of profit.
4. Transparency and Accountability
This trend should not just be a trend but a common practice. Every brand should offer transparency and accountability.
Everyone makes mistakes, and as a brand, it’s inevitable that you have missteps along the way. But if you are transparent and accountable for your mistakes, your authenticity will appeal not only to Gen Z but to every consumer demographic.
Wrap Up
If you’ve read the entire blog, you probably have an idea about what Gen Z are, what characteristics they exude, and the do’s and don’ts when it comes to marketing towards them.
But one thing is for sure, Gen Z at their heart just want a sense of belonging, to feel included, and to have a community. So whatever your marketing goals may be, make sure it aligns with this need and you will not only profit as a brand but feel a sense of fulfillment in the process.
Good luck and happy marketing!
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