Recently we had Pedro, a 16-year-old intern join us for some work experience. While he learned about the various aspects of placing ads and creating social content for brands, we picked his brains for insights about his generation and how they think.

It’s one thing to read the research on Gen Z, but this was a great opportunity to get the lowdown straight from the horse’s mouth.

Born into a world of furious technological innovation, instant information and ubiquitous use of smart phones, Gen Z (1995 – 2012) is just behind the millennials (1980 – 1994) yet are lightyears away in terms of their experience, how they see the world, their ethics and attitudes.

Previously marketers focused on millennials, however Gen Z now makes up 32 percent of the population with over $44 billion in discretionary spending. So it’s becoming increasingly important to understand what makes them tick, how to advertise to them, and how to reach them via their preferred medium; social media.

Value your values

Gen Z is hyper-sensitive to global and social issues. They’re very aware that the brands they choose are an extension and expression of their own values. A Nike Hoodie used to say you liked the attitude of their advertising. Now it says you support their ethics.  When 1,000 Americans were asked “Are a brand’s values are more important than their prices?” 43% of Gen Z said yes. Clearly this generation understands the companies they support, shape the society they live in, and they want to have their say.

What this means for your brand, is that your values become an important differentiator between you and your competitors. You can’t sit on the sidelines anymore; you need to have an opinion. This is supported by recent data from Sprout Social which showed 70% of consumers want brands to take a public stand on social and political issues.

To appeal to Gen Z you need establish clear brand values and live up to them in advertising and social media. Your brand has to be transparent with its actions and reassure your customers that you uphold the same brand values internally, as you do externally. Plus, it’s important to Gen Z that your company takes responsibility if it screws up.

Are You Not Entertained?

The biggest challenge Gen Z poses for marketers, is how to cut through the clutter and engage. With more social media and entertainment opportunities than any other generation, Gen Z has the smallest attention span ever. And no wonder. Every time they scroll they absorb hundreds of opinions, news stories, and world events. They get tragedy, joy, and anger, one right after another – it’s a lot to take in.

Short, entertaining, fun videos are Gen Z’s escape. But if you want to compete in this arena you’ll need to follow trends, create cut-through content, and know how to pick the catchiest music because this is a constantly evolving, fast-moving medium. It’s hard work competing with genuine UGC on platforms that are designed for it, so paid promotion remains an important part of the marketing mix.

Creating community and trust

Despite being so involved with social media, research has shown Gen Z to be increasingly lonely and isolated. So they’re constantly seeking to connect with people that have the same views and beliefs as they do.

There’s an opportunity for brands to play a role in facilitating these connections and conversations, but again, you need to get it right. It might help to build a sense of community by asking for advice and feedback for example. Another approach that works well, is encouraging loyalty by celebrating customers’ achievements or their connection to your brand.

Good influence

Interestingly, Gen Z trusts influencers, which is another opportunity brands should consider.  A nice insight we got from Pedro is that ‘super influencers’ or celebrities may not resonate. “You’ll find it’s better to engage with ‘real’ people who hold the same values as your company,” he says. “And you need to choose influencers whose followers are similar to your target audience.”

In summary, there are things we all know about engaging with Gen Z: Use visuals and video, keep copy short, encourage UGC, pay attention to trends, and optimise for mobile. But talking to Gen Zers, finding out about the motivations and psychology behind their decisions, will give you a much better understanding of how to maximise your social media strategy.