Generation Z is the generation that comes after the Millennials. It is frequently regarded as a complex group to reach. Although this is commonly portrayed as simply a rise in marketing cynicism, the reality is more complicated. Regarding preferences, responses, and overall attitude toward internet information, the newest generation of adults, perhaps even more so than Millennials, differs dramatically from prior generations. If you expect to boost your online reputation, you will need to learn to connect with Generation Z.
So, what are these distinctions, and how can we develop material that appeals to this generation’s values? Continue reading to learn more.
Who Is Generation Z?
People born between the mid-90s and the mid-2000s make up Generation Z. Generation Z’s oldest members are already in their early twenties, while the rest will reach adulthood in the coming years. In 2020, Generation Z accounted for over 40% of all consumer markets, and this number will only rise as more people enter adulthood.
Generation Z’s relationship with the internet, like that of Millennials before them, is a distinguishing characteristic. Unlike Millennials, however, by the time Generation Z began accessing the internet, it had already become heavily commercialized. As a result, they use the internet and interact with online information in unique ways, with distinct preferences for different types of content.
They differ in the values they strive for and respect in companies and how they consume material. To interact effectively with the younger generation, businesses will need to recognize five critical differences.
Here are the top five values and characteristics that Generation Z values:
Entrepreneurship
Traditional education isn’t the only thing that young people are suspicious of. Many people believe that regular employment does not provide them with a secure and successful career, so they turn to self-employment, business ownership, and other sources of income. In 2020, 53% of Generation Z participants planned to establish their own company. One of the primary motivators for their interest in self-improvement is this.
These ideas are attracted to content that promotes an entrepreneurial mindset, provides authentic business experience, or generally focuses on self-driven achievement. Furthermore, the substantial importance of entrepreneurship and self-driven success can make personal branding a vital part of how young people view you and your company.
Self-improvement
For Generation Z, self-improvement and self-education are fundamental values. After seeing so many previous generations invest in qualifications that contributed nothing to their success, more young people question the benefits of stacking up college bills. Instead, many young people opt to seek out other educational resources online.
They want to concentrate their education on the industries and fields in which they are interested, and they want to receive the most up-to-date information by consuming a wide range of content from specialists. As a result, educational content can effectively attract Generation Z and pique their interest in your company and your approach to the sector. However, an emphasis on educating and enlightening through your content should not come at the expense of entertainment value.
Generation Z-friendly educational content could include:
One of the stated benefits of this method to self-improvement is that it can also function as entertainment and allow young people to prioritize what they genuinely want to learn about. Allowing viewers to delve deeply into a topic that piques their interest is critical in blurring the line between entertainment and education. YouTube is an excellent medium for this material since it allows you to create an extensive library of information centered on specific topics that you can reference in future videos. As a result, visitors interested in your company, or an issue addressed in your content can quickly pursue that interest instead of seeking information from other sources.
Impact On Society and The Environment
For Generation Z, your company’s social and environmental influence on the globe is a crucial aspect of its brand.
Your employer’s reputation is also an essential part of your corporate social responsibility.
This isn’t to say that Generation Z wants to see your content and marketing channels make a show of supporting these beliefs or that you’re following the latest social fad. Instead, they want to see you using your material to support industry changes. Instead of simply celebrating the fact that your company has reduced its plastic usage, offering practical information on how you did so demonstrates that your company cares about the issue and assists others in your industry in making positive changes.
Communication On an Individual Basis
According to research, Generation Z is less susceptible to digital marketing, or at least certain sorts of digital marketing, and can easily filter out and disregard sales pitches. Young people today, unlike previous generations, are reaching adulthood at a time when technology can give highly tailored material and messaging. Generation Z expects the information they find online to be personalized to their preferences, from streaming applications like Netflix to music apps like Spotify. Furthermore, rather than being the recipient of one-way marketing content, they prefer to communicate with firms more personally and directly.
One of the most appealing features of social media sharing platforms like YouTube and Tik Tok is engaging directly with content creators and influencing its direction. This principle, however, is not limited to social media. Use text polls and surveys, for example, in addition to ensuring that your email and text newsletters are relevant to each member, to build a dialogue and gather ideas for future content that your audience wants to learn more about.
Mobile-Friendly content
Smartphones have steadily replaced computers as people’s primary means of accessing the internet, particularly among the younger population.
As a result, if your material isn’t mobile-friendly, you’ve already lost a significant portion of your target audience.
This includes, for example, producing material that is simple to consume in ordinary mobile usage circumstances. Is your video content, for example, accompanied by huge subtitles that are easy to read on a small screen? If your video isn’t usable without audio, viewers won’t connect with it in situations where they can’t use headphones or in locations where it’s too noisy to hear well.
Snapchat and Tik Tok, for example, place a premium on short content that can be consumed in a matter of minutes. However, this does not imply that all mobile-friendly information must be brief. On the other hand, a podcast allows you to spend several hours delving into an in-depth examination of a topic. While many podcasts incorporate video, they can also be enjoyed solely as audio. As a result, your audience will learn from your material while doing other things like commuting or working out.
Final Thoughts
Generation Z will engage with your company and personal brand if you have the correct content strategy in place. Businesses must understand Generation Z’s values and opinions to generate content that appeals to them. Furthermore, organizations must adapt to how their customers consume material and what they hope to gain from it. Increased personalization and unity with your audience’s goals and values are crucial components of this. Add it all up, and you will boost your online reputation with Generation Z.