The age of Generation-Y marketing is slowly rolling to an end. But who’s coming next? Well, that would be the tech savvy, independent and socially aware Generation-Z.
We’re talking about the generation currently under the age of 19; the ones who have grown up with smart phones, and tablets part of their everyday life, and the ones who have also lived through an economic recession. Targeting this audience is the future of marketing, and companies who don’t want to be left behind must keep up with what this audience want.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top 6 adjustments all marketers should be considering making to target the next generation. Don’t worry, though – this is the fun, self-sufficient generation you’ve been waiting for.
Stick with Social Media
Social Media has been an effective tool for marketing for a while now. From Facebook through to Twitter and onwards to Instagram, a wide range of successful campaigns have risen up and taken the world by storm. And this is a trend that’s going to continue with Generation Z.
However, the platforms you’re using may need to be taken into consideration. The typical Gen-Z member is more inclined towards using social platforms such as Youtube and Snapchat (which we’ll discuss in detail later). It’s this snappy, visual element that entices Gen-Z, and we recommend you explore these options when it comes to building your online presence.
Expand your presence across all devices
Whilst we’re on the topic of the social media domain, it’s also worth mentioning that Gen-Z have grown up with technology as part of their everyday lives. This means that smart phones, tablets, laptops, (basically, any way you can think of to get online), is a standard part of life for them. And they can all use them with ease.
This means you need to adapt.
A website and email campaign are no longer enough. You need an interactive website that is optimised to work across all devices, and one that’s quick to load and user-friendly. Gen-Z have no time to hang around – the speedy nature of their lives filters into what they respond to in marketing too.
Be socially conscious
As a generation that has never known a world without social media, the open nature of these platforms has encouraged them to also crave this kind of theme in their marketing too.
To really get the attention of the young audience, you need to appear as a friendly brand, one that is honest with their customers and also one that is fun. By doing this, you’re much more likely to get a better response from this audience.
There are various ways which you can do this. We recommend accessible status updates and photos, detailing fun things that are happening in the company. And we also suggest you get involved with hashtags on Twitter, as well as directly interacting with your customers online. Does someone say something nice about your brand? Then thank them! Has someone said something negative? Then do your best to respond and turn the situation into a positive.
By proving you’re accessible and friendly, you’re much more likely to get custom out of Gen-Z.
Focus on the visual
Alongside the rise of Youtube, Instagram and other visual mediums, there has been a distinct shift towards using visual elements to attract the interest of Gen-Z.
You should also be utilising this trend in your marketing. This means creating image-heavy content, as well as also focusing more on videos and posting images to your social media platforms. The generation responds better to the visual, so give them what they want if you want to achieve marketing success.
Relate to them
As mentioned earlier, Generation-Z has lived through an economic recession, which has undoubtedly had an impact on the way this generation is choosing to live their lives.
The downturn has spurred them on to develop a desire to support themselves, making way for an audience who want to set up their own business; one that wants to teach themselves – an age that wants to be self-reliant.
You need to incorporate this into your marketing efforts.
One way you can do this is by creating how-to videos and content and by focusing on providing interactive experiences. Gen-Z want to get involved whilst also feeling as though they are the ones in control; give this generation something new to learn, and they’ll lap it up.
Aim to grow your presence on Snapchat
One social media experience that many are not utilising at the moment is Snapchat. Snapchat is an instant message service where you can send a picture that stays on the user’s phone for seconds before deleting itself.
It’s a fun, quirky app and it should also be part of your future marketing efforts.
Brands that are already taking advantage of the platform include the World Wildlife Fund with its hashtag #lastselfie, which aimed to raise awareness of species that are heading towards extinction.
It’s important to be unique, fun and approachable when you’re marketing in this way. And if you do it right, you’ll catch Generation-Z hook, line and sinker.
Are you looking to grow or improve your online presence?
Here at Neil Walker Digital Group, we specialise in content marketing and social media. This means that we are experts in everything online, and we take pride in imparting our extensive knowledge to our customers in order to help them develop and fully utilise their online marketing.
We also take pride in keeping up to date with the latest changes and developments in audience requirements. So if you’d to have a chat about where your online presence is heading, and how you can improve, give us a call.
You can also follow us on Twitter @theukseo to get access to innovative content and resources that will help revolutionise your content marketing.
