5 Marketing Strategies to Reach Gen Z
To hook Gen Z and make them notice your products, you need to be innovative and creative. This is because these cool kids were born in the era of social media and the internet.
You will find them on TikTok, Instagram, or other attractive social media platforms, creating reels and trends.
You can’t ignore their numbers in your marketing strategy because according to Bloomberg (2019), they outnumbered millennials, and they comprised 32% of the world’s population.
So, they command a significant percentage of purchasing power because most have graduated from college/university. They are informed and can decide independently.
How do you win Gen Z and make them your customers?
Read along as we discuss who Gen Z’s are and why most companies are willing to invest in their businesses to win them.
We will also expound on the strategies you can use to reach and convert them into your clients.
Let’s dive in;
Who is General Z?
Different studies point to persons born between 1997 to 2021 as Gen Z. They are also known as Post-Millennials, iGeneration, or Homeland Generation.
We know them as digital natives because they are more exposed to the internet than other groups.
They are educated, more metropolitan, and racially and ethnically diverse.
Why are they a critical group to target in business?
When you compare them with the other generations, they are the largest group. They command a spending power of $140 billion in 2020.
The oldest members of this group are around 24-25, meaning they are already working. That means the spending power is increasing, and if you are in business you would love to trap this market.
Still, some are in college, and they live with their families. Around 70% influence their family’s purchasing decisions.
Now, how do you influence this generation to fall for your products?
Remember;
- They grew up seeing their parents suffering financially. So they are determined to make their lives better by making the right financial decisions.
- They are exposed to the internet, so they know where to look, what they want, and how to get it.
Let’s look at strategies you can use. We will highlight some business brands with marketing methods that most Gen Z relate to.
#1. Highlight your business purpose, value, and mission
This is a group that values what a brand stands for. They are not intimidated by how much you are selling, but how that can help society.
Note;
- They stand for gender equality and LGBTQ + rights
- They love diversity and value ethical and sustainable practices
- They love brands that are socially and environmentally responsible.
Ugmonk is an example of a brand that gives back to society. They have partnered with Rice Bowls to feed a kid after purchasing their items.
They do this yearly, and when a client buys a product, they are sure a kid will have a meal.
This is a simple example of a business highlighting its purpose, value, and mission and sticking by them.
That has attracted many clients to buy their products. So apart from making money, they are standing by their brand purpose.
#2. Encourage Entrepreneurial Values
This generation has seen their parents lose jobs, the housing market collapse, and have been affected by the current Covid-19, etc. So they know things can change.
That’s why 89% of Gen Z want to start their businesses. 70% of them are planning to start a company by the end of 2022. They believe it is better to work for your own company rather than others.
How to tap them into your business
- Show them how it works by taking them behind the scenes. For example, let’s say you are dealing with beauty products. You can show them where you source for them, pricing, and so on. That will make them identify with your business as they try to start their own.
- Bond with them by instilling entrepreneurial qualities. Allow them to learn positivity, resilience, determination, and self-empowerment through your business.
That will boost their entrepreneurial skills and relate to your brand.
#3. Build a community through brand trust
Let’s be honest. This is a generation that knows the internet in and out.
So they will scrutinize your product, go to reviews and not leave any stone unturned until they get to the truth.
Fortunately, 46% of them are loyal to your brand and love to engage positively if they love what you are offering.
As a business, you can have a genuine connection with Gen Z by using the following tactics;
- Embrace the sharable experiences. You can opt to share their experiences with your brand through your social media.
- Interact with them by talking about things they love. If they love to talk about the new music in town, connect that to your product in a relatable manner. That way, you will expose your products to them and create a solid bond.
- Always be on the lookout for new social media trends. This generation is fast to notice new things on social media. So make sure you are at the top of your game.
When you use this marketing strategy, you will have a generation that will stick to your brand because they trust what you stand for.
#4. Create content that has entertainment
According to research, most Gen Z spends 8 hours a day online. 54% of them spend that time accessing entertainment sites. They also do online shopping, games, etc.
How can you strategize to get them?
When you are creating your content, include entertainment to increase profile visits.
You can optimize this by doing the following;
- Use memes or videos because they love these than the texts. You can use applications like TikTok Instagram stories, YouTube videos, or Instagram reels.
- Make your texts short since they don’t enjoy spending the whole day on texts. Also, brief texts are easily readable on a mobile device.
For instance;
Red bull is an example of a brand that uses reels on Instagram. They make them short and entertaining, hence spreading the purpose of their brand.
Most of these reels are on sports and that’s the entertainment Gen Z will relate to. So they end up talking about their brand through the reels and this has brought in millions of views over the past years.
#5. Reach to them through different platforms
We have highlighted that this is a generation that loves social media. So you will find them on almost all social media platforms. But the popular ones are Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, or even YouTube.
They are aware of where to look when they need something. So be ahead of them and make use of these platforms.
The strategy you can take
- Explore the popular social media they visit. For example, they learn trends through Twitter. So table your products on Twitter addressing the latest trends in town.
For example, “StripMarvel” is almost on all social media platforms. He has a YouTube channel, Instagram, Twitch, and Twitter.
So if you want to watch a video, you will find it on Twitter. If you need to see him live, you will find him on Twitch.
But how does this help?
Let them find everything they need from a single brand through different platforms. This spreads your brand to different people, and you can market yourself.
Wrap Up
General Z depends so much on the internet for buying, education, entertainment, and communicating.
They are bold and don’t fear trying new things. You can use these 5 strategies to grab their attention.
- Highlight your business purpose, value, and mission
- Encourage entrepreneurial values
- Build a community through brand trust
- Create content that has entertainment
- Reach to them through different media platforms
These are not the only strategies that you can use. I am sure you have more, and I would love to hear about them in the comment section below.
