Every generation is different, we get it. The Baby Boomers and their buy/spend mentality gave way to the more spread-thin, penny-pinching millennials. But there’s a new kid on the block that may be the key to your business’s success, and that is Gen-Z.
Born between 1997 and 2012, they are 68 million strong, represent 20% of the country’s population and they currently control about $140 billion in spending power. But, perhaps most importantly, they’re the current generation of tastemakers. They decide what’s cool, what’s hot and what’s cheugy.
If you want to understand Zoomers, you don’t need to buy a pair of Air Force 1’s, start a TikTok or mock a Millenial. You just need to dig into the data to make sense of the generation that manages to be both overly sincere and cynical at once.
Short Attention Span Theater
Gen-Z loves to watch online videos, but they don’t like to watch them for very long. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram reels have all trained Gen-Z to watch super short videos in rapid succession. They have short attention spans and need constant stimulation to stay engaged with anything.
According to Oberlo, the average Gen-X’er will wait 12.6 seconds before hitting “skip” on a skippable video. However, for Gen-Z, that number plummets all the way down to 9.5 seconds.
That means you need to keep your video content short, punchy and to the point because a 30-second commercial might as well be 30 hours if you’re targeting Zoomers.
Know Your Influencers
Gen-Z is known as the always-online generation because they spend more than eight hours online every day. They’re the generation whose first phone was a smartphone and they’ve never known what it was like to not be connected at all times.
That means they grew up watching and relating more to influencers who are like themselves than any movie star, pro athlete or pop star. They see through celebrity branding deals and are less influenced by their endorsements. Instead, Gen Z is almost twice as likely to purchase an item based on the recommendations of an influencer.
Gone are the days when you could pay a Hollywood celebrity to endorse your brand and reap in the big bucks. In the topsy turvy land of Gen Zs, you better know who your online influencers are.
You Shop On Your Computer? Ok, Boomer.
If you can remember the thrill of the first time you bought something over your laptop, you’re probably not in Gen-Z.
As we mentioned previously, Zoomers have never known life without an iPhone and that means they’re very comfortable managing their entire lives over them. They have no problem handling their social media, banking and shopping with one hand while holding a White Claw in the other.
A staggering 75% admitted they prefer to make their purchases via their phone. According to a Google study, the reason for this is simple. Gen-Z uses smartphones because it is more convenient for them. That means if your brand isn’t optimized for mobile shoppers, you’d better not be targeting younger generations.
It can be hard trying to sell to an unknown customer base but that doesn’t mean you are out of touch, just uninformed. We hope these tips will help you connect with the next generation of consumers.
