We love social media for many things. For instance, you can stay connected to friends and family. It’s a viable source for news and content. It’s also incredibly entertaining.
But social media is also one of the best marketing tools for businesses. You can grow your brand awareness, build genuine relationships with customers, and become a force in your respective industry. And this is especially true if your customer base is made up of individuals from Generation Z.
To put it another way, social media is crucial to market to Gen Z effectively. Here’s why:
Gen Z Grew Up With Social Media
First, Gen Z grew up with social media. They were introduced to these platforms at a young age and continue to use them in adulthood. A recent study on social media users revealed that over 80% of 18- to 29-year-olds engage on at least one social media platform.
Social media is a part of their everyday life. It’s even been incorporated into their education. For instance, teachers may use Youtube videos in lessons. Or they may introduce educational influencers to their students to continue their learning at home.
Gen Z’ers are digital natives. So, if you want to reach Gen Z, you must meet them where they are, and that’s online, especially on social media.
They Actively Engage With Brands On Social Media
There was a time when you could only engage with a brand in person at its physical storefront. But the onslaught on e-commerce and the rise of social media allow people to engage with brands more easily and frequently.
Gen Z has so much choice regarding the businesses they buy from and the brands they engage with. But a solid social media presence can improve the chances of them engaging with your brand over the competition because that’s where they engage with brands most effectively.
Gen Z will be more inclined to engage with your brand and, eventually, become loyal to it if you build a presence on social media.
A Social Media Presence Influences Your Brand Reputation
Suppose you don’t have a social media presence. In that case, it’s likely affecting your brand’s reputation, especially in the eyes of Gen Z. Often, social media is the first introduction to a business or brand. In addition, it’s where Gen Z’ers go to learn more about a brand or company if they were introduced to it elsewhere.
When they can’t find you on social media, it’s a ding to your brand’s reputation. It could also result in them going to your competitor that does have social media.
On the other hand, if they can find you on social media and have a pleasant experience, it helps build your brand image and relevancy with them.
Connect With Brands on a Deeper Level
Gen Z wants to connect with brands on a deeper level — and they want to do it through social media.
When they can send a business a direct message about an issue with a product, it’s comforting for them. If they can leave a comment and get a thoughtful response from a brand, it builds trust. If a brand is consistently churning out valuable content, it helps them feel like that brand genuinely knows them and cares about their needs.
If Gen Z is your target audience, building a social media presence that allows them the opportunity to connect with your brand on a deeper level is the only way to go.
Find Out What Gen Z is Interested In
Savvy marketers understand that knowing the ins and outs of a target audience is crucial for the success of any campaign. What the audience is interested in is especially important because it can influence the marketing messaging and content a brand puts out.
Social media allows you to find out what Gen Z is interested in. From the news they’re consuming to the brands they’re interacting with to the content they engage with the most, finding out their interests can boost the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Social media is an excellent source for finding out what Gen Z is interested in generally and content-wise.
Tap into a Wealth of Social Proof
Gen Z is known to go to social media to learn about new businesses, products, and services. They also go to social media to divulge their experiences with those businesses, products, and services, whether they’re pleasant or horrible.
Gen Z is more inclined to listen to a review from a real person than they are an ad, and allow the review to influence whether they move forward with a purchase. So, if people are leaving positive reviews about your products or making videos about their experiences and posting them, you can bet Gen Z is seeing them.
Social media opens up a world of social proof and user-generated content that you can use to better the way you market to Gen Z.
Conclusion
Your marketing strategy for a Gen Z audience isn’t complete without social media. There are various reasons why social media is essential to market to Gen Z. But the most important one to consider is that they grew up with and on social media. It’s ingrained in their daily life. So, if you want to reach them, it must be ingrained in your marketing strategy.
Guest Author: Noah Rue is a journalist and content writer, fascinated with the intersection between global health, personal wellness, and modern technology. When he isn't searching out his next great writing opportunity, Noah likes to shut off his devices and head to the mountains to disconnect.
