Gen Z is a highly discussed generation, the first to be born and raised in the internet age. The range that Gen Z encompasses is from 1997-to 2012, so today, they are between the age of 9-25. Gen Z is a significant cohort in the United States, accounting for over 67 million people. They have an outsized impact on social media platforms, where many of the most popular influencers and most avid users are a part of the generation. They are trend-setters and taste-makers and some of the most desirable prospective customers for brands of every kind.

Gen Z isn’t just young children, they are adults with real-life buying power, and for a brand to succeed in the modern market, they have to be able to appeal to them. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, they have a spending power of over $140 billion and make up a large percentage of global consumers. Brands must have a strategy in place to appeal to this group. This may seem a daunting task, but it can be done by having a strong social media presence.

According to a Forbes report, Gen Z averages nearly four hours a day on social media apps. The same report showed that 97% of Gen Z use social media as their top source of shopping inspiration. They are extremely active on all the popular platforms and use them as their top source for finding products and brands they connect with. While previous generations were best reached through billboards and TV ads, social media is where Gen Z is reached.

Let’s look at some of the different ways social media marketers can appeal to Gen Z.

Utilize Video Content

There will always be a place in marketing for the written word; however, this may not be your best pathway to reaching Gen Z. The type of social media content that seems to be resonating with this demographic right now is video. Video content is all the rage on social media right now. TikTok skyrocketed in recent years to surpass over a billion monthly average users, and the platform is entirely based around short-form video content. Instagram Reels soon arrived after, banking on the success and growth of the medium.

Both TikTok and Reels are extremely popular amongst Gen Z, and utilizing these mediums is a great way to grow your customer base amongst this demographic. The same Forbes report showed that 61% of Gen Z are interested in watching more video content. Video should be a significant part of your social strategy to reach a Gen-Z target audience.

Don’t Shy Away from Social Issues.

Every generation has had its politically activating moments. From the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam War to the Iraq War and Financial Crisis, every generation has faced different major events that made them more politically oriented. It seems that Generation Z has experienced political activation at a younger than typical age and made it a big part of their identity. Don’t shy away from social issues if you want to appeal to Generation Z. This is a generation that expects the brands they buy from to align with them ideologically and proudly support the causes they do.

According to a McKinsey study, over 25% of Generation Z respondents have said they stopped purchasing from a brand in 2020 due to its environmental impact. Climate change was listed in a recent 2021 Deloitte survey as Gen Z’s biggest concern. According to that Deloitte survey, Gen Z is more likely to use social media to post about the social causes. A separate survey by MNI showed that over half of Gen Z says that a brand being environmentally conscious, having strong values, and projecting an impact-driven image are important factors in their purchasing decisions.

Utilize the Right Social Media Influencers

For brands looking to expand their reach on social media platforms, influencer marketing presents an affordable and high-impact solution. Using influencers on social media platforms with significant audiences and solid reputations as brand collaborators will allow brands to leverage the reach and connections of influencers to work to their benefit. There are many ways to define what makes an influencer right for a brand. Whether or not they post on the right social platform is an important consideration for starters. If you want to do TikTok influencer marketing, you need TikTok influencers.

If you want to reach Gen Z audiences with influencer marketing, it makes sense to target influencers with a high number of Gen Z followers. This information is difficult to access, but brands can use their judgment here. Perhaps a 35-year-old millennial mom influencer may not be the ideal target. But young, trendy influencers likely have many followers their own age and make the ideal partners for brands trying to reach Gen Z.

If you are looking to launch your influencer marketing strategy, partnering with a top influencer marketing agency is the best way to do it. Influence Hunter is an influencer marketing firm with years of high-quality industry experience. We’ve helped brands across industries develop customizable campaigns that deliver major results. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business create the best possible social media marketing strategy.