How To Engage Gen Z—The Digital Natives— On Their Own Turf
In today's increasingly digital world, it is no secret that the companies who are able to engage with Gen Z customers will have a distinct advantage. This generation has been dubbed “digital natives” and they know how to make themselves heard in this new era. In order for your company to reach these individuals you need a plan of action that includes understanding their desires and motivations as well as a strategy on how you can provide them with what they want in an effortless way.
Creating A Gen Z Strategy That Fits Your Company's Unique Needs
The smart thing to do is to create a marketing strategy to meet the needs of gen z. By using digital marketing, you are able to meet your future customers where they are, both physically and along their lifecycle as a customer. Your strategy needs to be rooted in an understanding of exactly who Gen Z is.
They've never known an unconnected world, and as such they've almost never been "alone." They expect luxury, but not in the same material sense the Baby Boomers did. Luxury isn't about things, it's about experience. Time is their most precious asset. Your brand needs to do something to ad value to their time and/or allow them to make a contribution to the world at large. They don't want boring, meaningless, menial jobs. Even the idea of a normal job that eats a huge, contiguous chunk of their day is distasteful.
Spend a few hours doing a deep dive into what makes Gen Z tick. Then, instead of judging them because their mindset is different from yours (remember, they've always been able to watch-on-demand, find answers at the touch of a fingertip and have literally anything delivered to their doorstep within 48 hours), work on creating a marketing plan that caters to their perception of the world.
Determine Your Company's Unique Gen-Z Value Proposition
A unique value proposition specifically for your Gen Z consumers must be determined. In order to do this, you'll need to come up with five key pieces of information in light of what you learned about Gen Z. These are:
What sets your company apart from your competitors?
How is your product or service different from what others offer?
What is something that is broken in society that our business fixes?
What does the average customer want and why should he/she buy it from us?
What makes buying from us better than going somewhere else?
Really consider these questions. Take your time to get this part right. Not that there is A right answer, but the wrong answer is one that isn't clear and easily voiced.
Create A Compelling Storyline That Connects With This Audience
Let your Gen Z customer be the hero of your marketing. They want something, but there's a problem standing in their way, and it makes them feel {pain points}. You, as the trusted guide {empathy statement + authority statement} present the plan that will allow them to avoid {failure} and achieve {success}. When they emerge victorious, they will have transformed from {old, undesired circumstances} to {new, empowered circumstances}
Once you know what this story looks like, use it to inform all of your marketing and messaging. This will keep your messaging clear and focused and make it less work for the customer to understand, and make it easy to see themselves as the beneficiary of everything your product or service has to offer.
Activate Marketing Efforts To Reach New Customers And Retain Existing Customers
Now that you understand your company's unique value proposition and have created a compelling storyline, it's time to put your marketing efforts into action. Here are a few tips to help reach new customers and retain existing ones:
Invest in digital marketing. It’s where they are… if you’re not showing up on their screen, there’s a chance they’re not seeing you at all.
Make sure your website is up-to-date and mobile-friendly (Mobile-first, preferably). If it isn't, you'll look like the old radio hold-outs trying to get hip with the kids on the “moving picture shows.”
Create social media profiles for your business and make sure content works in the context of each platform (they can spot an ad a mile away in the dark).
Actually engage with them on Social Media. The relationship is your true key to success.
Send out regular email newsletters with actual valuable information (refer to your story line for ideas).
Don't be afraid to ask for reviews from happy customers. Social proof holds more sway for Gen Z than any other demographic.
Be sure you publicly show your gratitude regularly via social media and email to existing, loyal customers. Your gratitude generates social currency for them, another aspect that they value highly that older demos might think of as silly. If they know their voice is being heard (and that others are being made aware of it), it will encourage them to share their experience with others and keep coming back themselves.
Developing a USP, creating a customer narrative and focusing on Gen Z are ultimately all about understanding how your customers think. The more you can tap into the psychology of their minds by thinking like them and speaking to them in terms they understand about things that matter, the better off you'll be. When you take the time to invest in these three strategies, you'll be better positioned to market your products and services effectively and get the most out of digital marketing toward a maturing group who has no problem spending money on the things they think are important.
