Owning a business is an American Dream that warrants pursuit. But, it can be a daunting juggling act, and if done incorrectly, all of what you have going will crash to the ground. There are so many pitfalls to business – your dream can very quickly become a nightmare.
Among those contingencies in building your firm are oversights. These are areas in your business model that you don’t allocate proper attention to, ergo it chips away at the integrity of your plan.
A lot of what’s overlooked is advertising, particularly Gen Z marketing. Believe it or not, they’re the new face of consumers. If you fail to tailor your marketing to them, your business won’t succeed.
Read this guide on enticing the new generation of consumers.
Lights, Camera, Action!
There’s an old adage, “a picture says a thousand words.” Consider a video that has 24 pictures a second. That says a whole lot.
Video stimuli enamor the newer generation. Through and through, the more the younger population interacts with fleeting videos – like TikTok and Instagram Stories – the smaller their attention span becomes.
The more likes a TikTok video has, the more power it possesses. It’s a good idea to buy TikTok likes if you’re taking that route.
Younger folks, plainly said, don’t want to read an article or blurb on some product or service anymore. They want to see it, feel it, and experience it. As long as they can interact, the advertisement will grab their attention – what little remains of it.
YouTube viewers watch, collectively, over a billion hours of video content. Daily. If you aren’t advertising on YouTube, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
The only video content we suggest avoiding when targeting the youth is television. While some children continue to watch cable television, supplemented by their parents, it’s a dying form of entertainment for teenagers and young adults. Most of their views go to streaming content, like Netflix and Hulu.
And typically, this media isn’t very ad-friendly. They offer affordable ad-free tiers.
The bottom line: steer clear of wasting money on television space. Target YouTube and other streaming outlets that are heavily dependent on advertising.
Moving Away from the Traditional
Like all good things, they must come to an end. This includes the rustic form of advertising typically found in television, radio, and newsletters.
Neither of which is really all that popular with Generation Z.
Instead, your marketing ploy should be targeted toward their phones. Every teen is glued to their screen, whether they like to admit it or not. To experience advertising, they must see it through their six inches of silicone.
Millennials are on the precipice of their careers. They’ll all typically check their emails a few times in the morning, frequently during lunch, and a couple of times before bed – on their days off. They’ll also have an express way to check their text messages or IMs.
This is where the newer generation deviates from the aging millennials.
But an insignificant amount of them actually subscribes to marketing newsletters through their emails. And just about all form of communication is done through other services. Not to mention, they’ll likely delete or add any advertisements to a spam blacklist in their text messages, effectively silencing your marketing tactic.
To reach this generation, it needs to be done on their new turf. This no longer includes Facebook. It’s vastly important to closely monitor “hip” (please don’t let anyone know you use this word) trends.
What it does include is fast-action, low-attention services, like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories. They engage with this content in rapid succession, eating up most of their time with fleeting video snippets.
This is where you need to inject your marketing plugs.
But this newer generation doesn’t take kindly to being sold something. What they love are interactions and experiences. Show what your product or service does in a Snapchat or a Story – don’t tell them to buy it.
Gen Z Marketing Is About “Making a Difference”
One of the newest trends in Gen Z consumerism is using purchasing power as leverage. This generation of buyers loves to make statements and to try to alter the world.
Use this enthusiasm to your advantage in marketing.
They’re no longer about brand loyalty or fast fashion. Young consumers purchase things built to last, that are manufactured greenly, and from companies that have progressive ideals.
Incorporate all three ideologies into your marketing. Tell them how your product is created and what your company does to help the environment. Make sure they know how much of a change your firm is employing in changing the norm.
Gear this generation’s marketing to their emotions. But don’t look like you’re trying to cram “change” into your product – it comes off very hamfisted. Take a more natural approach by mentioning subtleties in manufacturing or where you source your supplies.
This newer generation is very clever. They will see right through any attempt to manipulate. And when they do, they’ll cancel your branding entirely.
A dying trend, believe it or not (and thankfully), are influencers. Teenagers don’t give a hoot about influencers – that was a millennial thing. Avoid using Instagram models and other “celebs” for your marketing.
They’ll also recognize the fakeness of this tactic. When marketing to these youngsters, you should really strive for being as real as you can be. The biggest thing is interaction with these teens; make buying your product a “good thing.”
Marketing Done Right
Gen Z marketing has a new face. Just like with all tactics, there’s a new trend that marketers must realize before pursuing advertisement. This younger generation is more idealized than the last one.
They’re all very heavily focused on their phones and low-attention outlets. Use this in your advertising by incorporating your marketing strategies into their platforms. Most importantly, make it known that your company stands for progressive change – teens buy products that make a difference.
Are you interested in learning more about marketing strategies to captive? Check out our other articles on advertising and marketing.
