How to Market Your Business to Gen Z
Specifying Your Audience: Who Is Gen Z?
Gen Z is the generation of young people between the ages of 12 and 27, which means they were born between 1997 and 2012. Many are out of college, but most are still living at home or studying in a university setting. They’re also active online, which makes digital marketing strategies essential for reaching them. As a business, it’s crucial to meet them where they are—online and seeking seamless, affordable services. For example, Chit Chats offers low-cost, reliable shipping with tracking that appeals to the Gen Z consumer’s desire for convenience and transparency.
Implement Effective Gen Z Marketing Strategies
Transform your marketing efforts into Gen Z branding with fresh ideas. Watch your brand experience grow by tapping into the Gen Z market.
1. Communicate Brand Values
Gen Z is the first generation that mostly grew up with social media. They’ve felt interconnected to people from global communities for most of their lives, so they have strong personal values that resonate throughout their demographic. Marketing products or services toward those values is the best way to turn Gen Z insights into strategies.
Research shows that climate change is a top concern for Gen Zers, so you could schedule social media posts reflecting your brand’s shared concern for the environment. If this topic naturally comes up in your professional posting schedule, you’ll appeal to those with shared interests without compromising your company’s values.
2. Connect Your Services to Personal Empowerment
While older generations tend to have strong loyalty and connection to specific brands for the long term, young people don’t always share the same mindset. Gen Zers want to feel personally empowered with their purchases. Businesses that market their goods or services as things Gen Zers can buy to help themselves succeed may see more connection with this audience.
Combining this strategy with occasional posts encouraging followers to do something just for themselves is an excellent way to appeal to a younger audience. Crafting posts about self-care, social justice or community activism are just a few ways to get started with Gen Z marketing.
3. Work With Gen Z Influencers
Convincing ads used to be a strong way to market your business, but young people are changing that. It’s why people sometimes say that Gen Z broke the marketing funnel.
Experts found that 37% of Gen Z consumers trust influencers over other types of brand communications. If you want to market your business to Gen Zers, get in touch with influencers through direct messages or an influencer marketing agency. They’ll pitch your brand in a less sales-focused way to earn more brand trust among your target audience without direct advertising language.
Instead of creating a television ad showing viewers how your organic candles smell amazing, an influencer would shoot a TikTok video saying how much they’ve loved the smell of your candles throughout their house. This form of organic marketing is the foundation of Gen Z branding.
4. Invest in Video Marketing
Young people are spending a large amount of time watching TikToks and Instagram Reels. Whether you work with an influencer or not, your business will appeal to more young people if you post occasional video content. If your content stays up to date with current trends on each platform, your followers will be more likely to share it with their network offriends.
You can always hire a social media expert to make your content timely. They’ll help you determine if marketing to Gen Z vs. millennials is best for your business and how to stay relevant with either demographic.
5. Push Value Over Savings
Young people want their purchases to add value to their lives. They’re not necessarily shopping just to get the best deal. Advertise the value of your service or product by demonstrating how it would benefit their lives in meaningful ways.
If you were trying to reach Gen Zers who own a business, you’d want to show how your brand adds value to their professional lives. A social media post could emphasize how your products are reachable online and in-person, so they don’t have to change their busy schedules to get what their business needs. Put their needs first as you learn how to market to Gen Zers, and you can always follow up with a discount code in your video captions.
6. Embrace FOMO as a Marketing Strategy
Time-sensitive content will always appeal to people. It’s especially useful for young people who are always keeping up with the latest trends through influencers and “For You” pages. Make an occasional post about limited-time offers and flash sales on unique services.
You’ll still appeal to a general audience of consumers, but yourreach will touch Gen Zers who love feeling included in flash trends. It’s one of the ways marketing to Gen Z vs. millennials sometimes overlaps with other generations, too.
7. Make Your Content Interactive
Gen Z marketing prioritizes interactive content like polls and contests. Young people are all about online communities, so interactive content is another way to make them feel personally connected to your business. Those tools are also excellent ways to gain consumer feedback and better understand what your audience wants.
You could use a TikTok trend to incorporate your products or services into what Gen Zers already enjoy on social media. You might film a quick video with the jumping-over-the-camera trend to show how fast your products ship between countries while the on-screen text demonstrates your rates. As long as the filming trend is still relevant, you’ll throw your digital marketing efforts where people are already scrolling.
8. Respond to Your Comments Section
Gen Z insights show that they tend to leave comments on brand posts more than other generations. Young people are used to keeping in touch with people through virtual communities, so it’s an instinct for them.
Make sure your marketing plan incorporates frequent reminders to respond to your comments section. If young people get to personally interact with a brand, they’ll be more likely to follow you long-term and potentially buy your goods before choosing another business.
Market Your Business to Gen Z More Effectively
Marketing your brand to Gen Z doesn’t require overhauling your current strategies. Shifting to new perspectives in some areas — like starting a branded account on a new social media platform or working with influencers — can make a significant difference. It all comes down to how you prioritize their needs, like how Chit Chats is always simplifying the shipping processes for Canadian-based businesses.
Join the Chit Chats community to access low-cost postage that offers tracking and fast delivery times. Get your products into the hands of your customers all over the world and tap into the Gen Z market. Reach out with your questions and see how Chit Chats can be your preferred shipping partner and expand the reach of your branch.
Author Bio
Known for his expertise in industry dynamics, Jack Shaw serves as the editor of Modded. Through his insightful analysis and practical advice, Jack seeks to empower readers with the knowledge to thrive in the ever-evolving corporate landscape, guiding them toward success in their professional endeavors.