Dear marketers, if you are still trying to crack that Gen Z code with traditional strategies, I forgive you. But trust me, Gen Z isn’t buying what you are selling, at least not in the way you have been selling it.
Image Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/marketing-to-gen-z/471784/
Let’s talk about a generation born in a completely digital world where instant gratification and authenticity rule the day. So, how do we capture their attention as marketers? How do we get over the old playbook that served so well in winning with millennials but isn’t doing the trick with Gen Z? I break down some strategies that really work for Gen Z below. Spoiler alert: It’s not about Instagram ads or influencers with millions of followers.
Who is Gen Z, and Why Should You Care?
Let’s set the record straight.
Of course, then there is Gen Z or as they are called, the Zoomers: the generation born between 1997 to 2012. They’re pretty attached and of the digital world, not afraid to voice an opinion on just about anything. And you know what? Already, they’re a pretty big slice of the consumer marketplace. Take, for example, the year 2026, when they will constitute as high as 31 per cent of the world’s population. Now, that’s a lot of purchasing power. So what’s the big deal? Well, because their preference is rewriting the way we market. Exposed to advertisements from every possible angle, today’s youth have developed a sixth sense for sniffing out inauthenticity. Which means what might have worked with millennials or Gen X won’t work here.
So, where are the connections? We connect through three key pillars they hold dear: authenticity, inclusivity, and digital fluency. That’s just a starting point, however. Let’s dig a little deeper into the tactics that will really move the needle for Gen Z.
- Authenticity Is Non-Negotiable: The only thing I am taking from this article is that Gen Z wants authenticity. This group wants the brands to be honest, not the Instagram-filtered type of polished, but raw, vulnerable, and truthful.
Think of TikTok, a place where weird, raw content finds its footing. Perfection is so over for Gen Z. They want to see the soul in brands, brands that represent something beyond profit margin.
Be Authentic:
Be human. People relate to people, not to logos. Show your team, your founders, or even your customers. Make it personal.
- Mistakes are yours; don’t let them get away. Transparency is the key which unlocks trust. If your company screws something up, don’t let it slide. Apologize publicly, and let your audience see the steps you’re taking to fix it.
- User-Generated Content: Let your customers be the best promoters of your brand. Trust can be safely placed in content created by real people rather than ads. So, keep encouraging them to share stories using your product and bring light to them.
| TRADITIONAL APPROACH | GEN Z APPROACH |
| Personalized, pan-ready brand image | Unmediated, real, and unpitched content |
| Corporate messages | Authentic, unscripted, and in the moment |
| Sponsored by celebrities | Consumer word-of-mouth recommendation |
- Content length- Short is the New Long: So, let’s jump into this. Gen Z has a goldfish memory if that is just by two seconds greater than its length. Bottom line: The new kids on the block are all about short-form content. That’s why TikTok and Instagram Reels are going to dominate the kingdom; they bring nippy, bite-sized content that yields value or entertainment within seconds.
Why should it matter? If you can’t hook them on the first two to three seconds, then you have lost them. Gen Z is rapidly scrolling through their feeds. You’ve got to hook them fast.
- Best Practices for Short-Form Content: Start with a hook. Don’t bury the lead. Lead your content with something surprising, exciting or funny.
- Is it less than 15 seconds? You got that right. That is all the time you’re going to have to get your message heard.
- Use subtitles: For one thing, most of Gen Z consume videos in silent mode; thus, your message must be clear even when the video is muted.
- Diversity and Inclusion Not a Choice: Let’s be clear: for Gen Z, diversity is not up for debate. This generation is the most ethnically and culturally diverse that has ever existed, and they expect that the brands they support reflect this diversity.
Of course, this isn’t a check box, either. However, you’ll have different races and ethnicities represented in your campaigns: that is where it begins. Instead, it is really knowing and fully representing all the vast variety of experiences and, identities and cultures that exist on earth at this very moment. It’s about Gen Z seeing themselves within your brand, be it racial diversity, body positivity, or LGBTQ+ inclusion.
The Right Way to Get There
- Diversity in Representation: No tokenistic diversity. Your messaging should be an authentic representation of different voices and perspectives.
- Inclusive Language: Think about the words. The language is such a mighty weapon and Gen Z is super sensitive to when brands get it right, and when they get it so grossly wrong.
- Collaborate with Other Creatives: Individuals with diverse backgrounds help give your brand credibility and increase your user base.
- Purpose Over Profit- Cause-Driven Marketing: Gen Z loves a cause. Their interests range from climate change to racial justice, and they will ultimately make this world better. And they expect brands to care, too. In fact, 77% of Gen Z consumers say they’d buy more from a brand that supports a social cause.
But it must be authentic. Authenticity is everything. Performative activism won’t cut it. Gen Z can sniff out a smell a mile away when brands are just trying to jump on the latest social cause trend in order to sell more stuff.
How to Execute Cause-Driven Marketing:
- Select a cause that fits your brand. It must be meaningful. You don’t jump on any bandwagon, yourself, being truly interested in something.
- Sustainable. Don’t just sign off for the cause when it is easy. Let it be a part of your daily communications.
- Make a Real Impact. Whether that is donating a percent of profits or actually serving in a community, make to your audience real impact of work for the cause.
| TYPE OF CONTENT | OPTIMAL GEN Z LENGTH |
| TikTok Videos | Less than 15 seconds |
| Instagram Stories/Reels | 15-30 seconds |
| YouTube Shorts | 60 seconds |
- The Power of Micro-Influencers: Mega-influencers, who have millions of followers, may catch the attention of the millennial generation, but for Gen Z, the opposite is true, i.e., they seem to prefer micro-influencers. Why? In simple terms, they find them more relatable and authentic. What are micro-influencers for those still clueless? Basically, micro-influencers are found within a following of 1,000 and 100,000; it is considered an authentic voice that is in the field, not in it for their pocket.
- Gold, for marketers, with micro-influencers: Extremely engaged audiences who can provide much more targeted reach than a big-name influencer and at cheaper costs, so that you can work with several of those micro-influencers together for maximum ROI.
How To Leverage Micro-Influencers? Find those people who really care for your values. Authenticity is the answer, so work with people who love your products.
- Long-term collaborations. Instead of just a one-hit campaign, long-term relationships with micro-influencers that later evolve into collaborative and ultimately organic partnerships.
- Engagements over followers. Sometimes, the real value lies in a micro-influencer having 10,000 very actively engaged followers, not many, but highly engaged, with a celebrity’s million dormant followers.
- Gen Z is an interactive generation. They don’t want to watch content, they want to be a part of it. Be it through engaging activities, like polls and quizzes, Instagram stories, AR (Augmented reality) filters, or branded games, Gen Z considers interactivity important.
- Gamification is where it really gets interesting. This approach involves making marketing a game-like experience; through challenges, rewards, and leaderboards, you make their experience interactive and memorable.
Ideas for Interactive Content
- Quizzes. Generation Z loves personality quizzes. Create some fun, shareable quizzes tied to your brand or products.
- Interactive polls and Q&A. Use Instagram Stories or TikTok to engage directly with your audience and let them help in shaping the conversation.
- Branded challenges. Consider TikTok challenges that encourage users to create content around your brand.
For Gen Z, that boundary between social media and shopping has been very blurred. Social commerce, or doing the shopping process directly through social media, is skyrocketing. Why? It’s convenient. They can discover, browse, and buy without ever having to leave their favorite apps.
Instagram, TikTok, even Snapchat are now powerful platforms for social commerce and Gen Z is loving it.
Best Practices for Social Commerce
- Smooth checkout process. Stop making Gen Z endure a circus act—the fewer steps between the moment of discovery and the buying moment, the better.
- Influencer marketing partnerships. Extend your influencer partnerships to ship products directly via their social channels.
- Test shoppable posts and live-stream shopping. Live shopping is becoming pretty popular, especially on platforms like TikTok, where users can shop live.
And there’s your nugget of truth. Marketing to Gen Z is not about flashy ads or, vapid slogans, or celebrity endorsements but authenticity, inclusivity, and meeting them where they are; on social media, their favorite apps, and through the content they most trust. Here’s how you are going to do that: turn captive attention into loyal devotion through micro-influencers, embracing short-form content, and cause-driven marketing.
And do you know why? In a world where attention has a very short span of time and brand loyalty is won over like gold, that’s more precious than any treasure.