If your target audience is people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, you’re looking for ways to market your brand to Gen Z - or Zoomers.
And if they’re not your target audience, there’s no doubt that they could make or break your business because they’re so opinionated and vocal about everything and anything online.
To understand just how Gen Z has influenced marketing trends in 2022, we’ve compiled 5 ways in which that could help you improve your marketing strategy:
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Humanization of brands
Zoomers love human brands.
They care about whether your brand stands for their values. And they care about what you say, how you say it, and how you behave.
That’s why brands all across the globe now have to figure out a larger purpose than just making a profit. And they have to figure out how to communicate it to their target audience.
Do you stand for ethical consumption? Then why not make sure that your products aren’t tested on animals?
Are you LGBTQ+ friendly? Then don’t just put a rainbow across your brand’s logo during Pride Month. Partner up with LGBTQ-owned small businesses. Donate to the community.
Want to be seen as inclusive of diversity? Then, if you’re, i.e., selling clothing, make sure you’ve got enough sizes to fit all bodies.
See, Gen Z is all about making a society a better place, and if your brand is a socially responsible one, they’re even likely to be forgiving of less-than-ideal products that you’re selling. So, be real.
Post unedited photos. Be mindful of diversity when hiring. Host a podcast to share your CEO and company values with the world.
Support the community at all times, not just when you need some good press.
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Ads are annoying - Short, straight-to-the-point content is king!
That’s what Gen Z will tell you. Or you’ll learn the hard way once you find out that they’ve installed ad blockers to avoid your ads.
So, how are marketers supposed to promote the brand’s products or services to Zoomers, then?
Well, here’s an interesting stat that might help you figure out the answer yourself.
Although Zoomers tend to spend over 8 hours per day online, they also have an incredibly short attention span.
This piece of info can be useful for marketers in two ways:
- Because Gen Zers spend so much time online but don’t stick too long on a single platform, your brand should build a presence across multiple different social media channels.
- Because Zoomers aren’t known for their patience, you need to create content that grabs their attention and gets to the point quickly.
In other words, you need to find a way to entertain and educate through content generation. Think about the different ways to step into their world. Want to offer training or other edu-content?
Make sure you use the right online course platform and present it in a mix of content types, video, ebooks, survey, text, live sessions. With a bit of humor added in.
That’s right. Invest in content instead of ads.
And if you want to rank that content high on SERP, we’ve got a directory of the best Denver SEO companies that can help you with that.
TIP: Don’t waste a Zoomer’s time trying to look all smart, using complex words and fancy lingo. Instead, visit the platforms they frequent, learn the language they use, and adopt it as a part of your marketing strategy.
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Need for accountability
Here’s the thing: no one’s perfect.
If you’ve been running a business for decades, chances are that you’ve said something problematic at some point in time.
People have changed. Values have changed.
And Zoomers – they’re amazing at finding dirt on you.
They’ll dig deep and find that problematic tweet you wrote in 2012, which will inevitably lead to a full-blown reputation crisis for your brand.
If these things happen, there are things you can do to protect your image.
Number one is being honest.
Don’t make excuses for yourself. Own up to your mistakes and apologize for being wrong.
And don’t stop at an apology. Make actionable amends.
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Brand communities serving their audience
What Zoomers want is to speak their minds and know that they’ve been heard.
They want to engage in two-way conversations – and not just with your brand, but with other like-minded individuals, too.
That’s why you should strive to build a lasting and meaningful community for your audience.
Give your consumers a safe space to leave feedback. Respond to their reviews professionally and compassionately, even if they’re unfavorable.
Make providing impeccable customer service your number one priority! Embed a focus on customer service into your organization, aligning your employee benefits to reflect that. Instead of only focussing on extra sales or years of service awards.(which are also nice).
Zappos, for instance, is famous for going above and beyond to make their customers happy and as a result became one of the most lovable brands we know.
Also, a great way to create a sense of belonging to a community is to hire a brand ambassador or an influencer to spread the word about your vision and your products.
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Product personalization
Lastly, Generation Z is generally seen as a creative generation.
They want to be relatable and belong to a larger community, but they also want to retain their uniqueness and showcase their individuality.
What that means for your brand is: let them express themselves.
In other words, make your products customizable.
You can’t go wrong with offering ways to personalize your business offering and cater to different tastes.