What is Gen Z?

Gen Z is the group of people that were born between the mid 1990s and the early 2000s. Currently, Gen Z makes up 27% of the U.S. population. With many Gen Z-ers graduating from college and beginning to enter the workforce, their purchasing power is predicted to be substantial in the coming years. Not only do they have significant purchasing power, but they’ve grown up in a digital age. Their 24/7 access to smartphones and online resources is quickly making them one of the most well-educated and value-conscious groups.

For these reasons and more, knowing how to effectively market to Gen Z is a must for your business. However, don’t get too excited and abandon the older generations in your advertising. While Gen Z makes up a quarter of the U.S. population – -and that is significant — the other generations are still a huge consumer group.

How to market to Gen Z:

1. Authenticity is important.

Because they spend so much time on the internet, Gen Z is very discerning when it comes to sales tactics and manipulative efforts. It’s important to communicate in a relatable, personal way. Gen Z seems to have less trust in larger institutions and prefers to gravitate toward smaller, relevant businesses.

2. Your business must have a purpose (besides making money).

Gen Z cares greatly about the world and about being socially and environmentally responsible. They want to support brands that have established clear values and a clear purpose. Some examples of this include Patagonia, who supports ethical sourcing by encouraging consumers to buy less, and Toms, who donates shoes to people in need.

3. Use the right mediums.

A major difference between Gen Z and the older generations is that for Gen Z, entertainment is news. YouTube, TikTok, and other forms of social media are where Gen Z-ers go to see what’s going on in the world. According to Statista, Snapchat was the most popular social media channel in 2020 among Gen Z and Millenials, followed by TikTok and Youtube. 

4. Produce snackable content.

The average attention span of Gen Z is 8 seconds. This is why Gen Z loves content like short ads and Instagram stories. Create straightforward, easily digestible content that is easy to consume and share on social media. While Gen Z loves videos, other great ideas include gifs, memes, infographics, and quotes.

5. Optimize for mobile.

Make that your ad, video, post, or site is optimized for mobile, since most Gen Z-ers spend a large majority of their time on their mobile phones. 75% use a smartphone more than other devices. Amazingly, 55% of Gen Z use their smartphones for 5 or more hours a day. 

Stay tuned for more marketing tips!

We know how frustrating it is to spend time and money on digital marketing that doesn’t give you results. At Lifedge, we want to help you achieve effective marketing, so that you can help more people. Keep reading our blog for more marketing tips, or contact us today to experience digital marketing that works.