As new generations begin to dominate the online platform, marketers need to refresh their strategies to better cater to new segments. Generation Z is the newest segment that marketers must shift their focus to, as they are a highly sought-after demographic.

Generation Z is the demographic succeeding Millennials and refers to those born in the late 1990s and early 2010s. This demographic makes up around 40% of all consumers and has around $140 billion in spending power. As they grew up in the digital age, they are extremely tech-savvy. As a result, marketers especially want to target this demographic through online marketing strategies.

Though Millennials and Gen Z may seem similar, there are a few differences between the two generations that marketers must take note of.

Gen Z grew up during a recession; therefore, they tend to be more conscious of what they spend their money on. This also implies that they tend to focus on saving their money rather than spending it. As previously mentioned, this demographic grew up in the digital age, so they are essentially mobile natives. In comparison to Gen X and Millenials who often prefer Facebook, Gen Z prefers social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. They also tend to prefer brands that feel authentic which requires a brand to engage heavily with their customers.

So what does this mean for marketers?

Marketers can extract a lot of information based off these findings. For instance, if this demographic tends to save their money, the best way to market to them would be to focus on the experience rather than the product itself. By focusing on how the product will benefit them over the price of the product, Gen Z will be more likely to make a purchase. The intangible feeling Gen Z experiences is essential to successfully sell a product.

Since Gen Z is all about authenticity, the best way to build brand trust is to engage and be responsive. Gen Z highly values reviews, so maintaining great customer service is essential. Make sure to not only respond to your positive feedback, but also your negative feedback. This shows readers that you have acknowledge an issue and are doing everything possible to resolve it. Constantly interacting makes it seem like customers are interacting with a real-life human rather than just the generic chatbot.

Lastly, since Gen Z tends to have lower attention spans, it is important to create quick and effective content. Storytelling is crucial, although it is quite difficult when you need to capture the audience’s’ attention in eight seconds or less. In this case, utilizing Snapchat or Instagram is a great way to create quick advertisements. The Story feature on Instagram allows companies to share seconds of content but also stay on a profile for 24 hours.

Do you think there are other ways to effectively promote to Gen Z? Let me know in the comments below!