The Gen Z consumer demographic is on the rise, so it’s time to reinvent and upgrade your marketing strategies. Also known as digital natives, Gen Z-ers are those who were born between 1995 and 2012 (definitions do vary, though) and represent a consumer group that is highly tech-savvy and has a different approach to consuming online content and using the web in general. To appeal to this new consumer group, marketing experts and business leaders need to delve deep into the mindset and lifestyle of a Gen Z-er and redefine their marketing approach.
Gen Z-ers grew up with what even the Millennials would call “advanced technology”. They didn’t experience the dark ages of dial-up internet and landlines, nor are they quite familiar with the concept of “catching” a movie when it airs on TV. No, the Gen Z-er is used to instant gratification, which means that you need to capture their attention with engaging marketing and make your brand stand out. Otherwise, you’ll lose their interest in a heartbeat. Here’s what you can do.
Make every headline as catchy as possible
If it doesn’t stand out, then it’s not relevant enough. This is how the majority of Gen Z-ers perceive online content, and no, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s quite a smart way to quickly filter through the noise and the saturated online marketplace, and probably the only way to stay sane in the process. Because remember, this generation grew up being bombarded with fresh content on a daily basis. This is why you need to make every headline as catchy as possible.
No matter if it’s a headline for an article, an infographic, a video, a podcast, or if you’re making headlines for your product descriptions, it needs to stand out in order to make your company stand out. First, put a number in there because Gen Z-ers need to know how much effort they’ll have to put in to consume the content. Next, add an emotional adjective like “essential” and a rational incentive such as “principles”, and then wrap it all up in a concrete value promise.
Focus heavily on SEO
Gen Z-ers are surfing the web more than any other consumer group, and needless to say, they are constantly looking to find immediate solutions to their questions and problems. They are doing this via voice search or simply typing the keywords into the search box, which is why you need to prioritize SEO in your strategy in order to put your brand in front of the Gen Z audience and elevate your brand’s authority and trust. This is especially important if you’re trying to rank high in a competitive marketplace.
In the oversaturated global market, every experienced white label SEO company will focus heavily on local SEO in order to appeal to the local Gen Z audience as much as possible. By combining general and local search engine optimization, SEO experts can boost the visibility of their clients in the competitive online world, and drive traffic using the keywords and features that this young generation is looking for.
Emphasize visuals in your strategy
Lengthy articles are great for SEO, sure, but that doesn’t mean that they are all that appealing to the Gen Z audience. In fact, visual content is quickly becoming the most popular content form among younger generations, and for a number of reasons. Take infographics as a prime example of a visual piece of content that brings form and function together.
Nowadays, forward-looking design teams create infographics that are optimized specifically for the Gen Z audience by combining branded visuals with concrete information and messages, while optimizing the design for all screen sizes and lightning-fast performance. If you design your infographics this way as well, you will effectively capture the attention of the Gen Z-er and capitalize on their need to consume quality content in an efficient way.
Emphasize user-generated content
Everyone on the web has their opinion about a product or a brand, but none more so than Gen Z-ers. Members of this consumer demographic love to communicate, express themselves, and share their experiences on social media and other relevant online platforms – this is your golden opportunity to capitalize on this online chatter by incentivizing user-generated content.
Luckily, there are numerous ways you can inspire Gen Z-ers to create their own content and tag you in their posts. From asking for their opinion and creating polls on social media, to photo and video competitions, all the way to Instagram stories (which they love) and even creating shoppable images on social media, there’s plenty you can do to engage with the young Gen Z-er.
Optimize everything for mobile
And finally, make sure to optimize your entire web presence for seamless mobile browsing. Gen Z-ers are heavily dependent on their mobile devices, and they are predominantly consuming online content via their smartphones, which is why you need to leverage accelerated mobile pages to make your website mobile-friendly, to make everything fit perfectly no matter the screen size, and of course, to ensure fast loading times to keep them interested.
Wrapping up
The new generation of consumers is quickly taking over the online world, and brands need to get ready. With these tips in mind, go ahead and update your entire marketing approach to appeal to the Gen Z audience, and capitalize on the emerging consumer trends.
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