Should Your Business Be Marketing to Gen Z?

Since the advent of social media, marketers have been using social channels to connect directly with their target audiences, as well as reach emerging audiences becoming increasingly online. Marketers’ ability to deliver tailored content directly to their ideal customers’ virtual doorstep is such an essential part of digital marketing, it's a wonder anyone ever made do with print and traditional media to reach consumers.

The problem with every brand having the ability to reach every emerging audience, is that a lot of them might be wasting their time. They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should — that old chestnut.

As marketing shifts more and more online, it may seem like the logical move to target the demographic that is most online: Gen Z. What many organizations overlook is that marketing to Gen Z is not always a good strategy for building an online presence. If your product doesn’t align with their specific needs, and your organization doesn’t have the tools to reach them, your marketing efforts will likely not produce the results you’re looking for.

So, before you start searching for "how to market to Gen Z" or reading articles like “10 Ways to Adapt Your Strategy for Gen Z,” take a step back and ask yourself: Is your brand truly meant for this demographic? Is Gen Z actually your audience? The reality is, not every brand is designed to resonate with Gen Z, and that’s okay.

If you're still unsure of where your audience lies, keep reading — we’ll help you get to the bottom of it.

Key takeaways:

Not every brand is designed to resonate with Gen Z.
Gen Z marketing should focus on humorous and engaging content that will keep their attention, preferably in a short-form video.
Gen Z values brands that have a public sense of social responsibility paired with content marketing that is authentic and transparent. This is why user-generated content is a strategy that will likely always resonate with them.
When your brand doesn’t align with their wants and values, marketing to Gen Z will only hurt your digital marketing efforts.
Identify your target audience as those who are most likely to engage with your brand and convert, and focus on tailoring your content towards them.

Gen Z Main Misconception

Why is marketing to Gen Z different?

Gen Z encompasses people who were born from 1997 to 2012, making them 12 to 27 years old. Right off the bat, that age range is very interesting — and also tricky to market to. If you say you’re marketing to Gen Z, you might need to get a little more specific, are you talking preteens or young adults? A 12-year-old boy is not going to react to the same message as a 24-year-old woman. Tailoring your strategies to appeal to your ideal customer is important in any campaign, especially when you’re dealing with generational demographics.

While it’s tough to define an entire generation by a list of features, there are a few reasons why Gen Z marketing is a unique challenge compared to other generations. For example, let’s take a look at the difference between marketing to Gen Z vs Millennials (ages 28-43):

Marketing to Gen Z vs Millennials
	Gen Z	Millennials
Relationship to advertising	Because the majority of this generation were born into the internet age, Gen Z users are more able to spot online ads — and are more able to avoid them. They know when they’re being sold to and are more skeptical of traditional advertisements, favoring content that they perceive as more authentic or real.	Growing up in a rapid technological era, millennials experienced digital advertising when the internet was very new. Although they can respond well to more traditional advertising (TV ads for example), they prefer to make their purchases from online ads.
Platform placement	TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram	Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Podcasts
Types of content	Short-form video, influencer marketing	Long-form video, influencer marketing
Ad length	No more than 10 seconds	No more than 15 seconds
Messaging	Engaging, humorous, authentic, appeals to interests	Aspirational, aligns with values, appeals to experiences

While marketing to Gen Z vs Millennials doesn’t have to be drastically different, the key to success lies in the approach.

What are Gen Z's preferences in marketing?

If your goal is to attract Gen Z consumers, your marketing strategies and messaging need to hit certain notes to appeal to them. Some key characteristics of effective Gen Z marketing include:

Video, video, video

Social video content is typically the preferred delivery method for ads among younger demographics because it’s easily digestible and often shows the true nature of what they’re being sold. They believe that while photos can be heavily edited, it’s hard to hide from the truth in a video.

According to Forbes, 90% of marketers using short-form video will increase or maintain their investment in 2024. The article states that 90% of marketers attribute lead generation successes to video content, and 87% link it to sales growth. So, no matter who you’re marking to, video almost always works, and it usually works well.

Authenticity and transparency

Compared to Millennials, who want to see more aspirational ads, Gen Z prefers genuine, unpolished content over highly produced ads. Ads that prioritize building authentic connections and showing real elements of their brand or business, rather than just pushing a product, are the most effective way to drive conversions with this young demographic.

Gen Z in particular is getting savvier at detecting what is real and what isn’t — yes, we’re talking about AI. Although digital marketing and AI can coexist on the marketer’s side, artificiality has no place in what you’re serving to your audience. They’ll see right through you, and then they’ll click away.

User-generated content

While influencer marketing still has a seat at the Gen Z marketing table, this demographic looks to user-generated content as a way to verify if a product, brand, or service is worth their engagement, time, and money. Having real customers create content showcasing how your product or service works builds credibility and trust between you and the audience you’re trying to reach.

A 2020 study found that 70% of Gen Z find photos and videos especially helpful in making purchasing decisions. It’s even better than reading a 5-star review. This age group is more skeptical of influencers and their motivations (typically financial gain), and believes that the average Joe or Jane is more likely to be truthful about their experiences because they have less to gain.

Social responsibility

Finally, Gen Z believes that you better put your money where your mouth is. They have a particularly strong relationship with social responsibility and are more outspoken about the issues we face as a society. Therefore, members of Gen Z view their purchasing power as a form of activism, and actively seek out brands that align with their values.

This demographic is more likely to give their money to brands that take a strong stance on social issues on top of taking meaningful action; the expectation is that if you have a platform, you should use it for good. For example, if a makeup brand states they prioritize diversity and inclusivity but don’t release products meant for darker skin tones, Gen Z will likely see your words as performative and choose not to engage — or completely flame you online.

If you talk the talk and walk the walk, you’re more likely to engage Gen Z customers.

3 signs your brand should not be marketing to Gen Z

1. Your brand is not meant for a younger audience

Just because Gen Z is online doesn’t mean they will become your customers. If your brand, product or service does not apply to their needs and values, they will likely ignore you. Many marketers tend to alienate their core audiences in pursuit of younger customers — only to have the younger customers keep scrolling.

Even if your content is appealing to Gen Z, it doesn’t always mean they will convert. A funny TkTok of a retirement community using Gen Z slang might get you some vanity metrics (likes, comments, and shares), but young viewers aren’t the decision-makers you were hoping to reach to take meaningful action.

Target Audience

2. You lack an organic social media presence

While advertising on social media platforms is a great strategy to reach younger audiences, Gen Z users are less likely to purchase from or engage with a brand that lacks a social media presence. This can be read that your brand is stuck in the past or that you don’t put in any effort to connect with your target audience.

Implementing an organic social media strategy alongside your paid social efforts is a recipe for success. Investing in video creation, quality photography, influencer marketing, and user-generated content will keep your feeds alive and your audience engaged.

3. You don’t embrace video content

We’ve heard it all before: “I don’t have time to make videos,” “That’s too much work,” “No one wants to get on camera.” The truth is that excluding authentic video content will not only hurt your online presence by not appealing to platform algorithms, it will also alienate Gen Z, who prefer to interact with videos of real people.

This generation is more visual than their predecessors and have adopted a “see it to believe it” mentality when it comes to marketing. Their skepticism lessens when they see real people using real products or showcasing real experiences. Video content allows you as a marketer to compile complex messages into short-form content that they will find useful and engaging. Without a solid video content strategy, you’re basically leaving money on the table for your competitors to grab.

Need help finding and reaching the right audience? Let’s connect.

In short, you should only be marketing to Gen Z if your product actually aligns with their needs — and you’re willing to play by their rules. Remember, not every brand needs to market to Gen Z for their marketing efforts to be successful. Don’t let trends tell you that you need to market to a demographic that isn’t your target audience just because they take up a lot of space online.

If you’re not sure who exactly your target audience is, Baal & Spots can help. We can do what most digital marketing agencies in Houston won’t: take the time to understand what your brand can offer and who it is ultimately meant for with a thorough branding and messaging exercise.

Through discovery, development, and deployment, we will identify your ideal customers, craft messaging that encourages them to convert, and help you develop tailored marketing strategies designed to fit your business’s goals. No matter who your target audience is, we know where to reach them.

Don’t waste valuable time with other marketing companies in Houston. Choose Baal & Spots as your digital marketing partner. Let’s get started.