For the past few years, digital marketers, including our digital marketing company in Kansas City, have spent a lot of their efforts trying to understand and market towards millennials. However, the oldest of Generation Z are adults now, which means digital marketers need to start focusing on this new generation. Here are just a few marketing tactics our digital marketing agency in Kansas City finds important to keep in mind when targeting Gen Z with digital marketing.
Who is Gen Z?
If you search online for the years of Gen Z, you will find that the cutoff varies. However, for the sake of this article, we are going to define Gen Z as anyone born between 1996 to 2010, as stated in this article from Business Insider. This generation has grown up in a world with the most significant advancements in technology the world has ever seen. Characteristics that comprise this generation as a whole include entrepreneurial, independent, diverse, competitive, technologically-advanced, multi-taskers, believers, educated, and environmental. However, those nine words barely scuff the surface for defining Gen Z, but knowing who they are will help your digital marketing strategy towards them tremendously.
Now that you know a little bit about Gen Z let’s discuss some of the best ways to target them digitally.
Get Straight to the Point
Because Gen Z has grown up in a world that is constantly on the move and fast-paced, they don’t necessarily have the attention spans or desire to read long bodies of text when they are scrolling through social media on their phone. Gen Z typically wants everything to be straight to the point and upfront. Basically – according to our Facebook marketing company in Kansas City – anything you do, make sure it’s crystal clear, avoid jargon at all cost, and utilize visuals such as charts and images whenever possible.
Stay Up-to-Date with Pop Culture and Technology
Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter – you name it, Gen Z is on it. This is why staying up-to-date with technology is extremely important if you are a digital marketer, even if you have no interest in it for you personally.
Additionally, knowing all the trends and what’s going on in pop culture will also be extremely beneficial when it comes to strategizing for content that Gen Z will find appealing. For instance, Gen Z loves to use social media (specifically Twitter) for humor. A few well-known brands on Twitter that do a great job of incorporating humor in their posts to target Gen Z are Wendy’s, Netflix, and even Charmin!
Sell Experiences
Unlike generations before, members of Gen Z aren’t interested in hearing about how amazing a product is. Instead, they want to know how a product or service will benefit them, or what kind of experience it will bring them. When a brand can accomplish this, Gen Z’s are more likely to invest their money into their product or service – more so than millennials.
Engage, Engage, Engage
If your main target market is Generation Z, then engagement should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy. This includes engaging content, encouraging consumers to engage with your brand, and responding back to consumer feedback.
This generation wants to feel and be heard. So, ensure that your marketing campaigns not only encourage input but also be sure to interact with them directly. This includes personally responding to both positive and negative comments and mentions on social media about your brand. As our digital marketing company in Kansas City would tell our clients – even if your target market isn’t Gen Z, engaging with consumers is still an incredibly important thing to do.
Utilize Influencers
One popular way digital marketers target Gen Z is through the use of influencers. Influencers play a significant role in consumer purchasing as they provide honest reviews on products and services, and usually offer an incentive such as a discount code. In fact, 49% of people strongly depend on influencer recommendations before making a purchase! (Source: Digital Marketing Institute)
Influencer marketing might not be right for every brand. But those who can utilize influencers in their marketing strategy to help appeal to Gen Z should.
Contact Social: Managed.
Times have changed – whether you like it or not – and you would be a fool to ignore the fact that Gen Z is here and ready to buy. As one of the best social media marketing companies in Kansas City, we would say now is the time to adapt your marketing strategy to appeal to this newer generation.
If you’re a small business in the Kansas City area looking to incorporate the tips above for targeting Gen Z with digital marketing, give our digital marketing agency in Kansas City a call at (913) 222-9617. Not only do we specialize in social media marketing, but we are also one of the best website companies in Kansas City as well as specialize in digital ads and SEO.
