REACHING GEN Z’S – A GUIDE TO FINDING THE VIDEO & BRAND STRATEGIES THAT WORK
Generation Z – Gen Z, Zoomers, Digital Natives, Centennials. Whatever you like to call then, these turn-of-the-century, late-tween to early-20-something youngsters represent the next generation about to take their seat at the table. Raised around laptops, tablets and early smartphones, members of Gen Z spend over 8 hours online every day, living lives that are more plugged in, connected, and diverse than ever before. So how do we market to them?
Marketing to Gen Z can seem like shooting in the dark, aiming for a target you’ve never seen before. This post-millennial market comprises a complex blend of tech-savvy, inclusive digital wunderkinders whose tastes and demands are growing more targeted, with the non-existence of data on this brand-new grouping making them harder to understand than ever. Well-educated and cash-flush, Gen Z is a veritable digital gold mine, just waiting to be tapped.
So, to understand how to market to this next generation of tuned-in customers, we must first examine what aspects of online video and branding they are most drawn to before threading them into our overall strategies.
Old-School Ads on their Way Out
Online advertising as a principal digital marketing strategy is changing rapidly. While we all know that video content is growing to completely dominate almost all forms of advertising media very soon, its evolution is being driven by the evolving demands of younger market niches like Gen Z.
In order to remain relevant and attractive to this lucrative demographic, brands need to invest in not one but a multitude of different organic video and marketing strategies that are both appealing and useful to Gen Z.
Video Content Strategies for Marketing to Gen Z
- Interactive Content is King
No matter how good your video looks; Gen Z audiences want more than simply hitting play. Try to incorporate new and exciting interactive elements now widely available to video. - Top-Quality Content Only Please
With millions of near-expert Instagram and YouTube influencers having mastered image and video editing tools to monetize their social media accounts, the bar has been raised in terms of what defines quality content. Gen Z are ruthless when it comes to top quality and will make your brand pay dearly if yours is anything but. - Deliver Fresh, Always Updating Content
Gen Z are a vibrant, busy community, who appreciate video content that is kept up to date and fresh. Marketing videos have a much shorter online lifespan than they used to, so it is important to churn out new ones consistently.
Tailoring your Brand for Gen Z
- Understanding Better Than Ever Before
What makes Gen Z so tricky to market to is that no demographic has ever demanded to be as thoroughly understood as this one has. Young customers today expect brands to fully understand their wants and needs, offering products that solve their problems completely. Processes like product and customer discovery have become critical cogs in the Gen Z marketing playbook. - Take a Look at Your Brand’s Beliefs & Values
With many touting the current climate as a significant moment of cultural and social reckoning, values and beliefs are being reviewed and tested throughout society. Gen Z are part of the reason for this important shift, with inclusivity and equality at the top of many social agendas. Brands need to be extremely sensitive to these issues, aligning their own values and beliefs with the more progressive outlooks of Gen Z customers. - Make Customer Feedback & Reviews Your Best Friends
Once seen as a massive marketing pain, customer reviews have become one of the most significant factors considered by Gen Z when looking to make a purchase. As much as 82% of Gen Z shoppers will check reviews posted on social media from other customers before picking a brand. Turn your positive reviews into a valuable ally and, in the case of negative ones – reply. Gen Z want to be heard.
Conclusion
As the Millennial market inevitably ages and moves on to become loyal, long-term customers, collecting new clients is getting tougher. With Gen Z fast becoming the dominant demographic and with more money in their pockets, brands are scrambling to find ways to appeal to this barely quantified group of young, ambitious potential customers.
Reconfiguring your video strategy to be more engaging, eye-catching, and interactive is vital to snagging this lucrative sector. Gen Z want to be wowed with innovative video features, beautiful content, and a steady flow of high-quality media.
Remember to look at your brand too. Keeping your values and operations aligned with the stricter expectations of Gen Z is key to capturing this new, exciting segment of the market. Don’t forget about your existing ‘older’ market, though – they’re still just as important.
