Generation Z is the post-millennial cohort that follows Millennials. Born in the mid to latter end of the 90s, Generation Z is already starting to enter into their buying years. The oldest members are now 21 and moving away from education and into lucrative careers, meaning brands need to start prioritising this generation over all others if they want to grow.
Members of this generation are digital natives who were born into a world with technology readily available. They grew up surrounded by social media and smart devices. They are also known for their civic-mindedness, entrepreneurial spirit, and straight shooting. They are frequently referred to as realists who care about the world around them.
Generation Z is recognised to be ambitious, pragmatic, and more practical than Millennials. They are the most business-savvy generation—more than half of those born after 2000 have already started their own businesses or expressed interest in entrepreneurship.
With this generation’s potential to influence the market in a big way, brands need to take notice of what Generation Z wants.
A majority of young people are considering brands to be more trustworthy than they were in the past, but it can’t hurt to put your best face forward by incorporating their feedback into your digital marketing services and marketing campaigns.
Give Them An Experience They Can’t Get Anywhere Else
As the first generation to grow up in a fully connected world, Generation Z is extremely likely to be digital natives. They are far more accustomed to using technology than any other generation before them, which means that they are both theoretically better versed in how brands should engage with them digitally but are also less receptive to sub-par digital experiences.
Generation Z is extremely likely to be digital natives, and they are far more accustomed to using technology than any other generation before them.
This means that you should take great pains to ensure that your brand’s social media is well managed. You can capitalise on this by offering them unique experiences that can’t be replicated by your competitors.
Be Environmentally Conscious
Generation Z wants to see that they’re helping to make the world a better place by purchasing your products. They are extremely socially conscious and want their purchases, no matter how big or small, to have an impact on our planet. This is especially true for the clothing companies they purchase from. Organic, sustainable materials are very important to this generation.
Appeal To Their Sense Of Adventure
Generation Z is far more likely to believe that anything is possible if you have the drive, determination and confidence to work for it. This means that your brand must take care not to come across as boring, where even something with a minuscule chance of failure is ruled out.
Instead, you must promote yourself as an exciting brand that can offer them experiences they otherwise might not have access to by appealing to their desire for adventure and excitement in everything they do.
Curate Authentic Experiences
Generation Z is even more selective about what media they consume than their Gen X predecessors. As such, they will be incredibly sensitive to everything that you post online. They drop brands who don’t use social media responsibly within seconds, damning them for life.
This means that you must take great pains to ensure that the content your brand posts is true, not just in terms of truthful advertising and digital marketing services, but also in terms of what your brand stands for. You must also ensure that the experience you offer them is genuine. Otherwise, they’ll see it as nothing more than a facade and won’t engage with it at all.
Know Where They Are!
Finally, Generation Z doesn’t want to be marketed. Instead of being bombarded by advertisements, they want to choose an experience or product and interact with it on their own terms. Therefore, they expect advertising to be as unobtrusive as possible and only experienced when they’re ready for it.
The result of this is that Generation Z is unlikely to engage with you on social media unless you provide them with benefits that will enhance their lives. This means that you should focus your social media presence on giving them interesting information and practical advice.
You can also capitalise on this by creating a sense of community through offering exclusive experiences, contests and the ability to interact with other members via forums or chat rooms.
