Talkinâ âbout my generation: Tips for marketing to Generation Z

With millennial UK consumers spending 115.7 hours a month accessing digital content, it can be difficult for businesses to keep up. Here are some tips on how brands can stay on-trend and successfully target ‘Generation Z’ – the generation after millennials – as compiled by our bright young digital interns Elliot Williams and Rhianna Hartshorne.

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Tap, tap, not ring, ring

It’s obviously no secret that young people love to text. But 75% of millennials say they prefer texting to talking on the phone – a figure that will be even higher among Generation Z. With the rise of iMessages, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, our generation is used to firing text and emoji back and forth with friends. It fits into our multi-tasking digital lifestyle, and it’s quick, convenient, and not as intrusive as a phone call.

So the first rule for businesses is to make sure young customers can get in touch through their favourite digital channels, without having to dial your number. Implement online table booking, post up-to-date opening times on your Facebook and Google business pages and use Facebook and Twitter to provide quick customer service responses.

Our way or no way

Personalisation is a must-have for younger generations, and if you do it well you’ll find we’re happy to share the result with our friends and shout about your brand online. But this goes further than a first name in a subject line – it’s about giving customers something unique and letting them take control. Take inspiration from big brand campaigns like Share a Coke or Oreo’s trending/vending machine at SXSW festival. And most importantly, make it shareable so we can get our friends involved.

Pretty fly for a Wi-Fi

Generation Z spend on average 15.4 hours a week on their smartphones and a further 10.6 hours on laptops – so Wi-Fi is the new oxygen. As Starbucks has discovered, free Wi-Fi is a great way to encourage customers to take their time in your outlets – and how do you expect us to Instagram our purchases or tweet a selfie in your store without a connection?

Apps and snaps

In the last three months, 45% of users aged 16+ have checked Snapchat multiple times a day, which is only 8% less than Facebook. The unique thing about Snapchat is its ten-second time limit – Generation Z famously has an attention span of about 8 seconds, so it’s just enough to keep users entertained without boring them.

So if you’re looking to appeal to a younger audience, sign up to Snapchat and start experimenting. From sending sneak previews of new products to hiding offers in your snaps for your customers to seek out, it’s the perfect format to get us interested in what your brand has to say.

Take us on a journey…

Rather than trusting everything brands say, our generation are a savvy lot when it comes to marketing communications. Rather than sit there and be sold to, we seek valuable content-driven media to help make our buying decisions.

We look for content that breaks down the walls between a business and its customers and demonstrates a brand’s authenticity. Here’s a great example from Domino’s Pizza which effectively combines storytelling and Snapchat to provide a unique insight into their delivery process.

Need help grabbing the attention of Generation Z? We can help – get in touch with our team of digital experts, social specialists and content creators.