We’ve all heard of millennials, right? Of course, millennials is the name given to a generation of the population born in the 1980s. You’d also be right to think that they made up a huge part of the digital age marketing audience.
But, have you heard of Generation Z?
Generation Z is the latest upcoming generation and was likely to born between 1995 and 2012. Now, that’s a big gap in years but take into consideration that Generation Z, which is between 4 – 24 years of age, amount to a whopping 74 million people in the United States alone.
And more importantly than your knowledge of this new generation, is your organisation gearing their digital marketing efforts towards this booming generation? If not, you should be plowing a lot of resources into marketing focus on this generation because Generation Z are your next clients.
To get ahead with the latest digital marketing trends and to fully understand just what Generation Z are looking for when it comes to their online behaviour, it’s vital that you complete an accredited digital marketing course.
Just who are the ‘post-millennials’?
So, just who are the ‘post-millennials?
It’s much easier to stamp an approximate birth date on Generation Z than to define who they actually are and how their online purchasing trends are developing. This generation is often called The Smartphone Generation or TheiGeneration, but regardless of their label, Generation Z are the next big wave of consumers, especially online.
How we define the ‘post-millennials’ or Generation Z will make all be the success or failure of the businesses of the future. A business will need to understand their online media consumption in order to position themselves well in this digital market.
Generation Z characteristics
The main characteristic of Generation Z is their increasing mobility and constant connection online. This new generation grasps technology easily and adapts to shifting digital marketing concepts, therefore getting your product in front of Generation Z is a difficult process. The majority of Generation Z accesses the internet via their smartphones, which makes sense as we know they’re always on the move. A very important point about Generation Z is they’re actively trying to avoid online marketing and advertorials. This is tricky with the easy installation of ad-blocking software. In fact, Generation Z are recognised as the most tech-savvy generation ever.
So, how do modern digital marketers get around this issue?
Marketers need to understand that Generation Z cannot even recall living without some sort of smart device. This generation has grown up with technology as second nature and has been exposed to an unprecedented record of technology.
Where will you find Generation Z when they’re online?
It’s been recorded that Generation Z regard Facebook as ‘old fashioned’, smile you may, but remember this is the future consumer who is tech-savvy and grasps new technology easily. Start marketing to this up and coming generation now as your brand will have to market to Generation Z sooner, rather than later.
How you should market to Generation Z
It’s all about making a connection. Generation Z isn’t really too bothered about your business’ history and especially social media posts. Modern brands have to connect and engage with their target audience, in other words, organisations have to have an impact on Generation Z in order to even appear on their radar.
Even if Generation Z doesn’t yet have direct purchasing power, brands need to understand that they still hold some sway when it comes to buying decisions within households, and their say is growing. The buying power of Generation Z should not be underestimated by companies and what’s more, they’re online almost constantly. While this offers a big window of opportunity for digital marketing campaigns, catching their attention is easier than said.
Snapchat is the most popular social media platform when it comes to where Generation Z likes to hang out. This site is followed by Instagram and then YouTube. Facebook certainly isn’t as popular among this generation as with the millennials.
Imagery is a great way to capture the minds of Generation Z. High-quality, exciting and entertaining images, and videos go a long way to holding their attention.
