If, like us, you’re fed up to the back teeth of hearing the world and his wife bang on about Millennial marketing, then this just might be the blog post for you.
Of course, this by no means suggests you ought to underestimate the importance of this golden demographic – not with sites such as Forbes declaring that Millennials will be spending an estimated $200 billion annually by 2017 in the U.S alone as well as steadily climbing their way up the career ladder to reach the purse strings of the companies they work for.
However, as anyone who works in the field of content marketing will know, the times they do a-change and, as Neil Patel stated in a recent Quicksprout article on the subject, “limiting yourself to a certain mindset or set of marketing techniques will only lead to stagnation”.
Generation Z are coming up fast on the heels of Millennials. This is the generation that grew out of the mid-90s, so although many of them might be at university at the moment, a number are already beginning to enter the workforce. Last year Forbes reported that Gen Z is set to “swallow the Millennials in terms of size” and they have been touted as the fastest growing consumer group in the world. In fact, CMO reported last year that by 2020 Gen Z will account for 40% of consumers.
If you always have one eye on the future when it comes to marketing, you’d better keep the other firmly fixed on Generation Z, the future consumers that your services and products need to appeal to and your content needs to engage.
So, let’s take a look at a few things Gen Z want – it might just help you tailor your content accordingly.
Generation Z – the content wishlist
1. They want visuals
Generation Z have a short attention span, so long-winded, text-based content just isn’t going to cut it. Mix up your content with infographics, GIFs, images and (say it with us now) VIDEO. Mashable found that 93% of Gen Z use YouTube at least once a week with 54% visiting the site multiple times in a day. Shorter-form content rules the roost with this demographic – just make sure yours is tailored to suit each social platform…
2. They want social network variety
… And this is the reason why. Millennials love a variety of social platforms – Facebook isn’t their one and only. In fact, CMO reported that consumers aged 19 and younger prefer networks such as Snapchat, Secret, and Whisper, with a quarter of 13-17 year-olds abandoning Facebook last year alone. Wait though, don’t delete your Facebook account just yet – the social giant is still your best bet when it comes to reaching older consumers. However, ensure your marketing strategy focuses on the newer networks, using creative methods of engagement to establish a presence.
3. They want noble causes
CMO found that Gen Z are do-gooders and want to make a positive mark in the world. Three-quarters (76%) are concerned about humanity’s impact on the planet and more than half (60%) want their jobs to have a positive effect on the world. Brands that can demonstrate a commitment to a noble cause can help to connect with this demographic. If it looks like you’re all about the money, respect and trust may not follow in kind.
4. They want mobile
Millennials use three screens on average. The Gen Z crowd use five: a smartphone, laptop, desktop, portable music device and TV. To capture their short attention span and hold it for as long as possible, content needs to be optimised for mobile. Get rid of those annoying pop-ups, break up big chunks of text into digestible chunks and make sure your site is responsive.
5. They want it honest and direct
Step away from the salesy jargon – Generation Z are not interested in the hard sell. Providing valuable information with a subtle marketing message is much more likely to grab their attention than bombarding them with blatant ads. Develop strategies to humanise your brand in order to gain their trust and build a relationship. Additionally, remember that short attention span? Keep your content concise and direct. Think short, sharp and sweet – the key is always to leave this demographic wanting more.
Does your content marketing cater to the Gen Z crowd? For help from the experts, contact M2 Bespoke today.