One of the key principles of digital marketing, and indeed any kind of marketing, is that, for a campaign to have any chance of success, you must know the audience that you are targeting.

There is little point in a digital marketing campaign that does not resonate with the audience you are trying to capture.

Businesses with the most consistent growth rates cultivate a culture of researching what their target market likes and trusts, and dive in-depth into insights from social media, forums, etc.

They review sites related to their specific industry and niche to understand what is important to their audience. From there, you can discover treasure troves of information that can consistently drive your digital marketing campaigns toward incredible success.

The greatest ad copy, most exceptional products and services, or lowest discounted prices won’t deliver if they aren’t targeted properly.

Your teams can create the best marketing message, but if they are not being seen by potential customers, the campaign will fail to deliver.

This is why marketers spend so much time and effort researching what specific audiences react positively. When it comes to creating marketing messages, one of the strategies employed by the most impactful digital marketing campaigns is segmentation on the basis of specific criteria.

When aiming to target the Gen Z audience, marketers compartmentalize sections of the population by age. This goes a stage further by giving each of the age groups a title. Here is how those groups are most usually labelled and their respective years of birth.

1928 – 1945: Silent Generation
1946 – 1964: Baby Boomers
1965 – 1980: Generation X
1981 – 1996: Millennials
1997 – 2012: Generation Z
Early 2010s – Early 2020s: Generation Alpha

How To Connect With The Gen Z Audience

The group which is currently attracting a lot of attention from businesses of all kinds is Generation Z. These are individuals who were born in the final years of the 20th century and the first decade or so of the 21st century. Why was this group attracting such pivotal focus in digital marketing efforts?

This is the first age group who grew up during the digital world takeover, and have never known a world without smartphones, digital media, and the internet.

Because of this reason, their lives surround digital media platforms, forums, and social media platforms. This audience has eyes on a digital platform for every waking hour, and is a highly valuable target market for businesses and digital marketers.

At this time, this high-value group of individuals is aged between 10 and 26. This is a period of their lives where their wants and needs are not only significant, but changing dramatically.

As they move from childhood, through their teenage years, and into early adulthood, almost all of their needs are satiated through digital marketing channels.

Research also shows that Generation Z has valuable information for those planning a digital marketing campaign.

Gen Z Traits That Are Gold For Digital Marketing Campaigns

Highly Dependent On Digital Technology
Extremely Active Online, Especially On Social Media
High Interest In Music And Gaming
Very Conscious Of Reviews — Use Them To Make Buying Decisions
Accepting the Differences In Others
Tend To Be Open Minded — Willing To Listen To Others’ Opinions
Highly Aware Of The Latest Trends
Have A Desire To Make A Positive Impact On Others
Value Quality
Very Brand-Aware

Based on these, and other research relating to Generation Z, here are three important strategies that target them effectively.

Digital Marketing Strategies For Gen Z

#1 – Content Must Be Interactive And Engaging

Generation Z spends between 4 and 5 hours per day on social media. The platforms you are most likely to find them on are TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Generation Z loves content that they interact with. Examples include polls, quizzes, and infographics.

#2 – Focus On Sustainability, Reviews, Recommendations, And UGC Content

Growing up with a mobile device in their hand, and with cooking social media and video sharing platforms, Gen Z functions differently when making purchase decisions.

Quite unlike other subgroups, this generation isn’t impressed nor swayed by massive corporate budgets, taglines, and images.

Instead, they are highly critical of corporations and are highly sensitive to social and environmental impact.

Any information they receive is viewed with hgh skepticism, and that’s something that can be used as a strength by digital marketers.

#3 – Influencers, And UGC Content

The most savvy targeting for Gen Z includes user reviews, based on sincere experiences, and packed with genuine reviews. UGC of user-generated content plays a pivotal role in any digital marketing campaign geared toward the Gen Z audience.

Most campaigns allocate a sizable chunk of time and effort to publicize user-generated content, where actual users relay their experiences about a brand or business. Moreover, influencer recommendations and opinions can get a massive number of user impressions, as the millions of followers get their eyes on what their favorite influencer is recommending and using.

#4 – Video Is A Must

Video content is one of Generation Z’s favourite types of content. Video should be part of any digital campaign targeted toward this audience.

Tools like Instagram reels are a great way to reach larger audiences and gain a greater number of impressions than any other form of content on Instagram. Dive into TikTok, YouTube shorts, and create video content that’s engaging, hooks their interest, and drives the results you need.

Needless to say, that makes the videos engaging, and the best digital marketing experts know exactly how to hook the audience from the moment the video starts playing.

This audience has an incredibly short attention span, so getting them to stop swiping to the next post or video can be challenging. With the right hooks that resonate with them, many goal-oriented marketing campaigns have driven impressive results for brands.

Make the content shareable, because Gen Z wants to share everything they see with their friends, and that’s where the magic of video content multiples.

Creating viral videos has been one of the leading methods of brand awareness, sales, and greater brand engagement with the Gen Z audience.

#5 — Be Authentic

To get the most out of this audience, keep it real. The most effective digital marketing campaigns aimed at Gen Z are authentic and genuine.

Spending all their living years interacting with digital platforms, this subgroup of individuals is highly savvy, suspicious of corporate intention, and can spot insincerity at a glance.

Copied content, ingenuity, pretense, and false promises all drive this audience away rather than grab their attention. Make the message sincere, believable, and stay far away from ‘impactful’ corporate taglines.

#6 –Incorporate Community-Building and Interactive Elements

There’s nothing Gen Z likes more than being part of a community, engaging with content, and interacting with others on digital platforms. It’s all about nurturing community and being a part of a group that makes a difference.

The way to Gen Z’s heart and their purchase decisions is social media engagement, interactive experiences, and personalized content. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok allow marketers to gain their trust and make them feel part of something they’re proud of.

Polls, quizzes, viral challenges — capture the Gen Z audience with fun engagement. Social media platforms now offer a horde of interactive features that are optimized for certain engaging experiences.

Leverage Gen Z Uniqueness As a Strength

Understanding the unique and original way the Gen Z mind and purchase behavior work can be a massive asset for any digital marketing strategy.

Attract them by sharing snippets of behind-the-scenes content, introducing the people behind the brand, and making them able to relate to your business. As you gain their trust and form a familial bond, the Gen audience feels like part of a community.

Tapping into the audience’s highly socially aware mindset can always be a great way to tap into their interest and purchase behaviour.

Highlight the efforts your brand makes to stay sustainable and environmentally impactful. Invest in social responsibility events, and invite them to join hands.

Gen Z is highly unique because it is a highly demanding and self-aware audience, but if you can capture their attention, this audience is also the most loyal consumer of your brand.

Word of mouth marketing, constant sharing, this target market’s adoration and brand loyalty have the power to drive businesses to success.