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Unlocking Gen Z’s Market Potential

Understanding Generation Z

Generation Z, or Gen Z or Zennials, follows Millennials and precedes Generation Alpha; this cohort includes people born between 1997 and 2012. Like all age groups before, experiences profoundly influence Gen Z. Generation Z has encountered events such as pandemic lockdowns, economic instability, and internet presence.

Notably, they are the first generation to have the internet integrated into their daily lives from a young age, known as internet natives. However, growing up with the internet can be a double-edged sword. While it allows for constant connection and communication, it can also create a false image of people’s lives, leaving viewers unsatisfied or even depressed about their own lives.

Generation Z relies on the internet for entertainment, work, shopping, dating, making friends, and finding information and is rapidly emerging as a dominant force in the market. Here are three ways your business can best market to this age group: by knowing who they are, what they value, and how to gain their attention.

Know what Generation Z values. What does Gen Z like?


According to a McKinsey study, 73% of Generation Z reported trying to purchase from companies they consider ethical. Nine of ten Zennials believe companies are responsible for addressing environmental and social issues.

Zennials value:

  • Authenticity
  • Ethical values
  • Experiences
  • Health and wellness
  • Self-development
  • Sense of connection to a brand
  • Transparency/trust
  • Independence

Businesses achieve value by interacting with consumers, sharing behind-the-scenes content, and hosting engaging polls and competitions on social media. Gen Z wants to feel involved in the brand, almost like a personal connection.

Knowing Generation Z by comparing them with Millennials

Numerous similarities exist between the age groups, primarily attributed to the significant rise of social media and the internet during their lifetimes. However, there are also distinct differences.

What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z? - The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Studies indicate that capturing the attention of Millennials is significantly more challenging than it was with previous generations. Millennials perceive life as an ongoing learning journey, so creating content that is informative and relevant to their interests may sustain their attention over extended periods. Additionally, this generation embraces multitasking as it enhances efficiency.

n contrast, Gen Z prefers consuming content in shorter bursts. With constant exposure to various media, brands must stand out quickly for any chance of capturing their attention. While not necessarily prioritizing formal learning, this age group is interested in self-improvement, although only sometimes aligned with traditional educational pursuits like the Millennials.

How to get Generation Z’s attention. How can your business gain it?

Before we can understand how to capture the attention of this cohort, we need to dive deeper into the different kinds of attention.

Most of us have likely experienced driving to work while listening to music. In this scenario, our focus alternates between the music and driving, demonstrating a low level of selective attention to both tasks.

Caucasian guy using mobile phone while watching TV at home Stock Photo | Adobe Stock

Another common example is scrolling through social media while a game or TV show plays in the background. Occasionally, we tune into a specific play or scene, displaying selective attention to one thing while primarily focusing on another.

Therefore, it’s not necessarily that our attention spans are getting shorter, but rather that our attention is being pulled in more directions than in previous generations. This can make it quite challenging for businesses to compete for consumers’ focus.

As a business aiming to reach consumers with a message or product, you must encourage consumers to shift their attention from what they are intentionally focusing on to unintentionally paying attention to you.

So, what are some ways you can shift their attention?

  • Relatability
  • Video Content
  • Storytelling
  • Staying current with trends
  • Developing a brand personality
  • Incorporating influencers

Take your marketing to the next Generation with our help.

With Generation Z’s up-and-coming buying power, they will soon wield more influence than any other age group, making it essential for businesses to adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. The three ways your business can best market to Gen Z areto know who they are, what they value, and how to grab their attention.

Call us if you need assistance learning the best marketing strategies for your business!

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Advertising with Precision: Maximizing Results with Paid Digital Ads

When it comes to advertising, you have numerous options, ranging from traditional to owned and paid digital media. Traditional media, especially billboards, generate countless impressions but many of those impressions may stray from your target audience. That is where the benefits of using paid digital ads come in handy—you can specifically target your desired audience. 

Digital Advertising Benefits:  

  • Measurable outcomes.  
  • Cost efficiency.  
  • Fitting any budget.  
  • Amplifying your reach.  
  • High return on investment.

Your goal drives your message 

Creating a paid digital ad involves considering numerous factors. First, you need to understand or create the goal for your ad. 
 

Are you trying to:  

  • Create or increase brand awareness?  
  • Generate revenue? 
  • Drive traffic to your owned media (website)?  
  • Manage brand reputation/public relations? 


Depending on the goal you aim to achieve, your ads will vary significantly.

Brand Awareness. Managing brand reputation may involve highlighting your company’s care for the community. The ad above shows a commitment to the community. This effort improves people’s trust and distinguishes them from less personal large corporations.  

Drives traffic. This ad increases brand awareness and drives traffic to the website. Repetition (sometimes referred to as frequency) and budgeting to achieve a strong reach are the most crucial factors for generating enough impressions to run an effective campaign.

Define your audience 

How do you find your target audience? It helps to define your audience by:  

  • Demographics, such as age, gender, and location.  
  • Psychographics, such as understanding consumer behavior.  
  • Interests include what kind of content the user consumes or engages with online. 

Your audience might not consist of just one group, so you should create more than one ad. For instance, we developed two ads: one targeting families and another targeting women. The distinct differences in each ad make it more appealing to their respective groups. We incorporated different visuals and text to capture attention effectively.

Choose the right platform 

Choosing the right platform to reach your audience is critical. While it is true that your target demographic might have accounts across multiple platforms, understanding which ones they frequent the most is essential. This understanding not only helps you better grasp your target audience but also enables you to target them more efficiently. Each platform provides unique features that can aid in connecting with potential customers.

For further insights on determining the ideal platform for your audience, refer to PEW Research, a great resource: PEW Research

Increased exposure of your product or company in consumers’ minds will enhance the likelihood of future purchases. Maintaining a consistent presence is key to reinforcing your brand identity. 

How can your business unlock digital ad success?
Interested in learning more about the world of digital ads? Reach out to us today. Our team specializes in crafting unique marketing strategies tailored to your needs. If you believe your marketing efforts could use a boost, let’s discuss over coffee.

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VIA Idea #27: Improve your Sales Strategy with Inbound Marketing

Back in the day, advertising was simple: TV and print ads pushed products or services and we responded by buying those products or services. Those days are gone. Prospects of all ages now Google items or brands they’re interested in, visit the company’s website and ask Facebook friends for advice.

To thrive, businesses large and small must continue to evolve their sales strategies by employing inbound marketing. Effective inbound marketing engages early-stage potential customers as well as fosters relationships with established customers. Inbound marketing includes a variety of “pull” tactics:

  • Web content
  • Blogs
  • Webinars
  • Videos
  • Reports (inc. white papers and ebooks)
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletters/ezines
  • Press releases
  • Social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, etc.)
  • Infographics
  • Mobile offers/coupons
  • Apps

Note that none of these are “pushing” customers to buy; each serves to demonstrate your company’s expertise, builds trust and encourages conversations. Because you want to engage existing and potential customers, the key is to generate fresh, relevant content often enough that they pay attention. Everything you generate should be optimized with your top keywords. Search engines love inbound marketing tactics and done right, will reward you for your participation with higher rankings.

The goal is to structure inbound in ways to get someone’s permission to capture data such as a name and email address. This is a great way to fill your pipeline with leads for follow-up programs. The beauty of inbound marketing is that once you create strategic content, it works for you as long as it’s active. You have an asset that keeps on giving.

 Inbound Marketing needs to accomplish these four goals

Our industry says many businesses are currently budgeting an average of 30 percent (up from 26 percent) of their marketing dollars to inbound tactics. They also say many businesses haven’t even begun to work in this arena. HubSpot, the company who literally wrote the book on inbound marketing, revealed that inbound marketing’s cost per lead is 60 percent lower than traditional outbound marketing.

How do you know which inbound marketing tactics are best for you? Ask yourself the same questions that you would before starting any marketing initiative; keep in mind that marketing must be about customers and prospects, not you.

Who are you trying to reach? Why do they need you? What message, information or offer would entice them to start a conversation with you? How are you going to follow up? How often are you going to post or email an offer?

If you need help in sorting through what to do first, contact Julie for a free consultation on how we can create an action plan.