Gen Z-ers and millennials make up a major part of today’s social media users and consumer market. As such, it only makes sense to create marketing strategies targeted to these demographics. While that may sound simple on paper, how do you actually implement these strategies to work for your brand and its unique audience(s)?
This is the eternal question that every digital marketing strategist faces. They’re tasked with straddling two very different types of demographics, both of whom have a lot of buying power. Engaging with younger audiences and winning their loyalty forces marketers to come up with new tactics that speak to the ways these consumers think. Without a deep understanding of what makes Gen Z-ers and millennials tick, your marketing efforts could fall flat quickly.
With that said, let’s take a look at these demographics a bit more, shall we?
For starters, let’s get one thing straight: Gen Z-ers and millennials are very different. They need to be approached uniquely – appealing to their interests, identity, and culture – to make your marketing campaigns successful. So, let’s paint a “persona” for each.
Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1996. They’re tech-savvy individuals who communicate via text and actively engage on Facebook. Millennials tend to be now-focused, optimistic, and they want to be discovered. A few other things to note about Millennials:
Gen Z-ers were born between 1997 and 2006. They’re tech innate, often using as many as five screens at a time. They communicate through images and are future-focused individuals who are realists and want to work for success. Gen Z-ers also:
Now that you understand a little more about millennials and Gen Z-ers, let’s talk about how you can enhance your site to capture these demographics’ attention.
Although Gen Z-ers and millennials are quite different, neither customer responds well to hard sells. Since they have years of internet experience under their belts, they’re great at ignoring in-your-face ad campaigns. Both Gen Z-ers and millennials inherently filter out content they don’t want to see, and they don’t want to be told how amazing your products are. Instead, they want you to show them how your brand can benefit their lives and what experiences you’ll bring to the table.
About 25% of your sales have something to do with your product; the rest comes from abstract emotions and feelings your brand can evoke in your audience.
People naturally want to share others’ stories and tell their own, especially when it comes to how a product impacted their life (for better or for worse). Your website should feature real customers’ stories and experiences of those who fell in love with your brand and have something to say about how it elevated their lives.
Every designer knows you don’t create something cool just because you think it looks good. This is especially true when it comes to your website. Think about the users’ experiences and put them at the forefront of this process. Your site needs to have quick load times, be mobile-friendly, and feature content that’s impactful and highlights all the reasons your brand stands out from competitors.
Remember, design is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
As a marketer, you’re constantly trying to collect data about your potential customers. Be mindful, however, that Gen Z-ers specifically list pop-ups as their number one frustration on the internet. If you bombard them with pop-ups and lead generation forms, you’re likely doing so at the cost of increasing your bounce rate and losing out on potential customers. As a compromise, you can add a sleek box where users can opt-in to your newsletter if they so choose.
Targeting the younger generations? Start with videos.
Millennials are accustomed to (and may even prefer) absorbing information through images and videos in addition to text-based content. Adding more video components and interactive features to your website can help users develop connections with your brand. These features are more stimulating and interesting, making it easier for users to digest information. Consider adding a high-quality hero video to your website that ties into your messaging, but be sure it’s not overly distracting. Balance is key.
If you’re aiming to include influencers in your marketing efforts, consider partnering with micro-influencers over major personalities. While we’re all about shooting for the stars, in this case, a smaller-scale influencer may see much more success. Micro-influencers are those who have between 1,000 and 100,000 followers on social media.
Why would you go this route? Gen Z-ers and millennials often find micro-influencers to be much more authentic and easier to relate to – which is the secret to success when it comes to influencers.
When users enter your website, they want to see you’re the expert in your industry and that you care about the quality of the products you’re selling. The way to convey this is with high-quality photos and videos that showcase to your audience the life they could (and want) to be living. Craft the messaging around your products as the very core of achieving that lifestyle.
Both these generations demand brand authenticity and flexibility. They have no tolerance for frugal, conventional, inauthentic messaging. Make sure your site approaches them in a conversational way that highlights your social and environmental efforts – these things matter to Gen-Z and millennials. These consumers will get behind brands that are about more than just making money. The more you care about the climate (both socially and environmentally speaking), the more your brand will resonate with these audiences.
Trends come and go, and it’s not always a great idea to blindly jump on board with them, as they can fade quickly and may not be on brand for your business. However, it’s worth paying attention to design trends, especially, and incorporating them into your site’s imagery when you can. For instance, “Millennial Pink” took social media by storm a few years ago, infiltrating Instagram posts and other online content with a rose-colored hue. Today, that trend has been replaced by a fun color that’s been dubbed “Gen-Y Yellow.”
An overwhelming majority (nearly 90%) of Gen Z-ers feel privacy protection is incredibly important to them. Many aren’t willing to share their personal information online but might consider doing so if they trust that the brand will protect their data securely.
When you ask for personal details, do so with honesty and transparency. Be open and proactive about how you’re going to commit to protecting that information and always live up to your promise.
If you’re looking for the best ways to engage with Gen Z and millennial audiences, we’ve got you covered. Our team of creatives will happily work with you to design a website that’s engaging for these generations. To learn more about our services, contact us!