Marketing to Gen Z - An Entirely New Ball Game
As a self-proclaimed Late Millenial (born Nov 1996, one month before the cutoff), I dont technically identify with Gen Z. But, in being on the cusp, much of my social development was similar to that of early Gen Z-ers, so there are a lot of things that I do understand about them. Coming from a psycoeducation background where my audience was primarily 18-25, much of my day-to-day work was focused around creating content that Gen Z-ers would respond to and engage with. As a copywriter, those skills have come in HANDY, let me tell you! Here are the top 5 things I keep in mind when marketing to our newest, and sometimes most outspoken, generation.
Social Media Assets
Okay, this one is pretty much a no brainer. We all know that social media has taken over the world, and tha kids are starting to interact with it at younger and younger ages. Getting banner ads on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are paramount to brand awareness and engagement from that audience.
Attention Span - Keep it Short & Sweet
Younger adults and teens these days will not read something that takes them more than a few seconds. If they are your target audience, keep your copy as short and to the point as you possible can. They are used to 60 second or less videos and reels - so they arent going to read anything that takes them longer than that before they are interested. You have to grab them fast and hard.
Humor
The generation of memes. Humor, wit, and quirkiness in your copy goes a lot farther than it used to with this generation. If you can make them chuckle, repost something, or share it with a friend based on the humor coming out of your ad, that will help you strike gold with this target. There are even some companies out there now that are taking the “meme” type humor route in their advertising, like Liquid Death for example, to capture that younger audience. Don’t be afraid to be bolder than you are used to if you are running a campaign with this age group in mind.
Ditch the Overt Professionalism and Be Real
Unless there is no way your brand voice can be a friendly, relatable one and it needs to be uber serious, try and be less stiff and professional in your copy. Brands that use headings like “Welcome, friend!” in a confirmation email, are authentic in their marketing, or generation-specific lingo in their copy get far with this age group. They get a lot of flac for the way they act, think, and talk, so a brand that makes them feel understood will be one they stick to. They can also see through the hokey sales tricks prety easily after a lifetime of the internet.
Be Inclusive
Its true - Gen Z is a little touchy on the inclusivity topic. But, its something they care about, and playing to their paun points with a solution is what copy is all about, right? Seeing that you are an inclusive brand, in whatever way that works for you, will send them a positive message about your brand overall. It will show that maybe you care about the same core values. This can be as simple as a declaration on an “about us” page or copy that is inclusive of all genders, races, ethnicities, etc. Even if you arent a fan of the “woke” era, it pays to give your audience what they care about.
Like I said earlier, Gen Z-ers get a lot of flac, but, they are also one of the biggest target consumer-bases in the world right now. They are more outspoken, bolder, and technologically connected than any generation before them. They care about a lot and many of them are driven to acheive a lot. Making these small changes to your copy or brand voice is integral if they are your brand’s main target audience. For them to be with you, you need to get on their level. Embrace the differences and challenges they might pose, and get to connecting with them!
Cheers.
