Tips And Tricks To Get Gen Z To Engage With Your Brand
When it comes to getting Gen Z to engage with your brand, it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Marketing strategies that have worked for generations past just aren’t hitting the spot with Gen Z viewers.
Gen Z are individuals born between the mid-late 1990s (around 1996-97, depending on who you ask) until the early 2010s. They’re the first generation of true digital natives, and because of that, getting them to engage with your brand or your marketing has become increasingly difficult.
Advertising, social media, and digitisation have been ever-present in the lives of Gen Zers, so it’s much easier to poke holes in inauthentic advertising or tune out if they aren’t interested.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet! There are some strategies you can implement to get Gen Z to engage with your brand or your business meaningfully. These are our top tips and tricks for marketing to a Gen Z audience effectively.
Firstly, How (& Why) Is Marketing To Gen Z So Different?
Every generation has a different feel than the one that came before, from baby boomers to millennials – there are key distinctions that set each generation apart. For Gen Z, the one thing that sets them apart from generations before (and after) is that they are the very first generation to grow up in a completely digital space.
Gen Zers (most likely) can’t remember a time without the internet; they probably grew up with a computer in the home and had mobile phones in their tweens or early teens. They’ve been on the internet since they were tiny, and they’re incredibly clued into how businesses and brands market themselves online.
Gen Z is hyper-aware of advertising. Where millennials might think an influencer video promoting a product is a genuine recommendation, Gen Z can see that it is a marketing tactic. To get brands to engage with your content and your business, you need to be able to try completely new things to connect with your audience.
So, How Can My Business Connect With Gen Z?
When it comes to connecting with a Gen Z audience, there are a few tips and tricks you’ll need in your back pocket – these are some of our favourite ways to connect.
Be Authentic
There are a few things Gen Z values more than authenticity. It’s critical that your brand shows that it is authentic in its marketing. Avoid working with influencers or personalities Gen Z deems ‘inauthentic’. Show Gen Z how your brand is different and can benefit them genuinely rather than going straight for the sale.
Create A Community
Regarding Gen Z – they love being in on the joke! Try to foster a community around your brand that allows Gen Z to feel like they are part of something. Creating a community of like-minded individuals also helps to promote that feeling of authenticity and trust. If one thing is for certain, Gen Z are far more likely to interact with your brand if they feel like they’re a part of your community.
Prioritise Inclusivity
Outside of being the first generation of true digital natives, Gen Z has also solidified its status as the generation most clued in on social justice issues. In order to appeal to a Gen Z audience, you have to ensure that your brand is diverse and inclusive. Ensure you have employees or use influencers from different backgrounds, body types, ethnicities, and more to show that your brand prioritises diversity and includes individuals from all walks of life.
Be Memorable
Gen Z is constantly seeing brands, businesses and individuals advertising online, so the number one thing you can do to ensure they engage with you is to be memorable.
Try working with an animation agency in London to create short films or animated branding that allows you to stand out from the crowd. Organise pop-up events with giveaways or prioritise interactive campaigns like rewards and challenges to help engage Gen Z with your brand in an oversaturated market.
UGC Is Key
User-generated content is king when it comes to reaching Gen Zers. Working with individuals from that generation and encouraging them to create and share content from your brand not only helps build your community but also massively improves your brand visibility. If you’ve been looking to build a community and increase your reach with Gen Z users, UGC is hard to pass up.
Be Yourself
At the end of the day, Gen Zers can be incredibly fickle, so tailoring your brand and business in the hopes of engaging with them can be detrimental if you let your other audiences fall to the wayside.
Gen Z appreciates authentic, community-built, and inclusive spaces, so be yourself in your marketing, ensure your brand is as genuine as possible, and get off to a great start impressing Gen Z audiences everywhere!
