How to Speak and Engage Generation Z
Generation Z has started transitioning into young adulthood and given their size, everyone is trying to understand how they think, how they behave, and how to relate to them. They are set to be the biggest generation ever in America and considering how millennials have felled and raised brands; brands and institutions are working overtime to comprehend this cohort bearing in mind that a miscalculation may easily lead to condemnation and commercial death. Here are methods that have been found effective regarding engaging with generation Z.
Use Snapchat
Centennials were lucky enough to witness the mistakes that millennials made of washing dirty laundry in public and baring intimate details for all to see on social sites without heeding the cliché that the internet never forgets.
For this reason, Snapchat has become the default social platform for generation Z courtesy of its higher privacy levels and its ‘content disappearing’ feature. Through it, centennials get to enjoy social media while reducing the probability of the past coming back to bite them.
Snapchat, therefore, is one of the best platforms to access and engage with generation Z. Due to its security parameters, running effective campaigns that drive engagement optimally requires an out-of-the-box approach, but many successful campaigns have shown that it is very possible.
Leverage funny videos
Centennials visit YouTube more than any other site. They are in love with visual content and it shows in their actions given than Snapchat is also image heavy. In line with their love of YouTube, majority of generation Z’s influencers are also YouTube stars, some of whom have surpassed the 50million subscription milestone.
Funny videos seem to do best, repeatedly managing to attract millions of views and thousands of comments. Thus, do not concentrate on text, go for humorous visual content and it will be easier to connect and catalyze meaningful conversations with generation Z.
Utilize influencers
Influencers have a big impact on generation Z. For example, many centennials have no qualms purchasing products endorsed by their online role models even when the sponsoring is done in a blatant manner.
Influencers, therefore, present a great way to access this generation and top brands are losing no time in cashing in on this opportunity. The only caveat is that the majority of influencers only accept to endorse what they believe in, and what they deem as helpful to their followership.
Through Instagram
Instagram comes second in the centennial hierarchy of social sites. Regarding sales, it is the most influential according to one study where 44% of centennials said that their purchase decisions were influenced by personalities on the site.
Also visual heavy since posts are pictures, Instagram cements generation Z’s graphic orientation. Savvy companies are working towards cementing presence on the platform and driving engagement meaning that Instagram is as good a channel as any to engage with centennials.
At their convenience
To better connect with generation Z, speak to them at their convenience by first choosing a channel that creates a context in which they feel comfortable in such as the ones mentioned above. One survey also discovered that interestingly, generation Z favors face to face communication more than millennials.
Hence, face to face engagement is another good strategy to communicate with centennials. The apparent disadvantage is feasibility due to the minimal reach and logistical requisites that face to face interaction on scale would demand.
Understand them
In a relationship where the parties involved understand each other, communication naturally becomes effortless and seamless and the same is so for generation Z. This fact is evidenced by generation Z’s inclination to better like celebrities who are more relatable.
Katy Perry, for instance, recently streamed several days of her life on YouTube and took up the posting of daily ‘confessionals’ to build a bridge of relatability with her young fans. The move has largely paid off judging by her increased followers and subscribers.
In view of this, strive to understand generation Z or at least, seem as if you understand them.
Meet them at their point of need
Generation Z’s attention span is more fragmented than the infamous millennial attention span. To get their attention for long enough to even have the chance to effectively engage with them, you have to meet them at their point of need by availing something they are interested in.
This is why funny videos work so well since centennials are always looking for humorous content. In a nutshell, base your engagement approach on something they crave for such that even if your strategy has holes, they will be more likely to overlook them as you would overlook the quality of food after suffering hunger for a while. Some of the things centennials are interested in are good deals, the environment, climate change, charity, good leadership, getting rich, looking good, and standing out
With the right approach, engaging with generation Z is not hard. In fact, in terms of communication, they are not different from other generations bar the different platforms of preference and their shorter attention span. To develop a killer engagement approach, consider getting professional help from respected names in the industry such as bitgale.com.