How Gen Z Marketing Trends Can Help Your Business Grow in 2021

Dec 2020
Adeola Adekaiyaoja

With 2021 approaching, it’s that time of the year when businesses are planning both digital and social media marketing plans for the new year. What should you be looking out for in 2021? Taking a look at the quickest growing platform in 2020 gives a good indication of a growing market, Tik Tok has grown five fold in just 18 months as Gen Z flok to it for a sense of community, humour and even education.

What is Gen Z?

Generation Z (born between 1996-2010) have been previously overlooked in favour of marketing to millennials, however as this generation grows up so does their spending power. They are set out to be the most diverse and most educated generation yet, with an estimated purchasing power of $44 billion annually.

Gen Z are a different demographic to market to. Marketers will have to focus on more than just selling a product if they want to succeed with this digitally savvy generation.

What are Gen Z like?

With the rise of influencers, they are pioneers of the latest social media trends from TikTok dance challenges, to online activism and memes. 

This generation is full of bold, creative personalities who understand the value of social media as if it is their second home. 

As a marketer, it is worth implementing the below key digital marketing strategies to capture this demographic’s attention and purchasing power.

  • Authentic Brand Values

When you are defining your marketing strategy for Gen Z, it is important that your business values are clearly established and that your content remains authentic to your brand. This matters because Gen Z values authenticity from brands.

Brands like Fenty Beauty and Parade have succeeded in this strategy because they focus on diversity and equality in their branding. By progressing past industry ideals, Fenty Beauty racked up $72 million in earned media value with its launch in 2017 and has continued to grow ever since with the prominence of Savage x Fenty and Fenty Skin.

With clearly defined values, your brand will be able to engage with Gen Z audiences effectively by building brand loyalty and trust.

  • Transparency

Next up for your Gen Z marketing strategy is to ensure that your business is being transparent at all times and taking accountability for any mishaps.

Gen Z heavily relies on background research and user generated content to trust a brand, 63% of Gen Z customers prefer to see “real people” in content from brands.  
Larry Melstein says that “Brand trust is only second to price in terms of determining what brands we’re going to support. You’ve seen brands trip up because they’ve not upheld the standards that they’ve been communicating.”

2020 has also seen a rise in social media activism due to events such as the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Campaigns such as #pulluporshutup has enabled Gen Zers to find brands that align with their values and who aren’t afraid to speak up for what they stand for. We are looking at you Sainsburys! Great job 👏

  • The Entertainment Factor

With social media being an oversaturated market, brands need to constantly try new formats to stand out in the virtual crowd.

Gen Zers only have an attention span of 8 seconds on social media platforms, so it’s important that your marketing message is succinct and entertaining.

This is where taking advantage of formats such as Instagram Reels, TikTok, Twitter and memes will help capture attention and organically grow your audience.

Gen Z appreciates obscure humour and pop culture references through witty copywriting or sketch like videos.

To summarise…

Building a strong Gen Z marketing strategy is a great way to connect with a younger, bolder, digitally-savvy consumer. In summary; stand for something, be honest, keep it short and entertaining!

If you’d like to target this audience, we are specialists in creating social media marketing strategies that deliver results, drop us a line!