What companies need to know about Gen Z

When crafting a digital marketing strategy, our Omaha online marketing team recommends the very first thing you should do is create a buyer persona. This marketing tactic creates a detailed description of potential customers. You should consider a person’s demographics, interests and shopping habits. 

When creating these personas, you should include a Gen Z consumer if appropriate. This generation might be on the younger end of the spectrum, but they hugely impact buying decisions. Our Omaha online marketing experts created this guide about Gen Z that you can use when planning your marketing strategy. 

Who is Gen Z?

Gen Z is short for Generation Z, also known as the iGen or Zoomers. These individuals were born between 1997-2012, following the millennials. This generation is unique because they are the first generation to be raised with access to the Internet. Unlike millennials, Gen Z does not know a world without having Internet or social media access. This aspect has had a significant influence on the way they live their lives and buy products. 

Gen Z vs. millennials 

Gen Z and millennials have lived through similarities like growing up with social media and economic recessions. However, there are distinct differences between the two generations. 

A difference between the two generations is that millennials value sustainability. They are willing to pay more for sustainable products. On the other hand, Zoomers are more conscious about their spending and are ready to switch to lower-price alternatives. 

Another thing that makes Gen Z different is that they highly value authenticity. They want to support honest businesses. This generation is not shy about calling out companies for scamming customers.

How to market to Gen Z

If you are trying to reach this target audience on your next digital marketing campaign, here are some tips from our Omaha online marketing team. 

Be authentic as possible.

As stated above, Gen Z values authenticity. In a survey, 67% of Gen Zers agreed that ‘being true to their values and benefits makes a person cool.” As a company, you should consider embracing brand authenticity. This means you’ll need to be more honest and open about everything you do. To design a more authentic brand, establish a straightforward brand story, be consistent and hold yourself accountable. 

Create channel-specific content 

Regarding posting on social media, Gen Z prefers to follow social media accounts that create channel-specific content. This means that Gen Z wants to see different content across all your social media platforms. Some ways that you can differentiate your content between platforms is by using the following: 

Instagram for showing products or sharing aspirational posts 

TikTok uses trends or creates fun products

Twitter share news

LinkedIn focuses on career content

Use user-generated content 

Individuals between the ages of 15 to 21 are more likely to follow influencers than other individuals. One way to reach Gen Z is by using user-generated content (UGC) rather than stock photos. This kind of content is any form - like reviews, photos or comments - produced by customers. Using user-generated content is an essential aspect that businesses should consider because 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. 

Start marketing to Gen Z with the best Omaha online marketing company!

At Monstrous Media Group, our marketing professionals can create a marketing strategy that helps you foster relationships with your target audience. Contact us today to learn about our digital marketing services.