February, 2023
As media experts, we must highlight the fact that Generation Z is one of the most valuable generations for brands and media, as they are becoming increasingly more important in today’s society. As soon as this generation comes of age and start making their own purchasing decisions, their influence on the labour market will be more evident.
This generation stands out for being more realistic and focused on the future. And they have abandoned the millennial mentality of living in the present, instead constantly focusing their life on the future and on working to achieve their goals and objectives.
They have grown up in an environment in which technology and social networks are a fundamental part of their life. As a result, they have developed a natural preference for communication via images and short videos, which has led to an increase in platforms such as TikTok.
However, and this might seem odd, they place a lot of value on privacy, as they’re aware of the risks of the Internet, which is why they seek to protect their personal data and only share with people they trust.
Regarding their behaviour in the market, Generation Z are known for their scepticism towards brands and advertising. So they look for real reviews and the opinion of people they know, or that of influencers.
In addition, individualism is increasing, meaning that each person has their own interests and they expect brands to offer them an experience tailored to their preferences.
The problem is that many brands, in view of the constant hyper-connectedness of Generation Z, make the mistake of implementing a generic strategy and for this reason do not attract them in an effective way. To be successful in reaching them, it is essential to have a well-defined strategy and to reach them through other zillennials, or centennials, since this generation of users, more than any other, are influenced by their peers.
As previously mentioned, customisable resources must be implemented, since Gen Z states that, although they highly value their privacy, they’re willing to share information about themselves in exchange for a more personalised experience.
Finally, we must also take into account that Generation Z values immediacy and expects an effortless user experience. They’re connected 24 hours a day and have a shorter attention span due to being bombarded with a huge amount of stimuli every day. Therefore, it is essential that the type of content presented to them captures their attention within the first few seconds or else they’ll leave.
Last July, during the Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference, TechCrunch reported the statements made by Prabhakar Raghavan, vice president of Knowledge and Information at Google. Raghavan stated that approximately 40% of young people do not use Google when searching for something, instead using the search function of the most popular social networks: TikTok and Instagram.
These platforms have become a popular alternative to the traditional search engines, because they provide a more stimulating, interactive and personalised experience. Users no longer have to scroll through headlines to find what they’re looking for, just a few simple keywords will help them find information on social networks, thanks to the videos created by other users of their generation. And they can also check their quality or veracity according to what is said in the comments.
To sum up, Generation Z is a unique generation that has grown up in a digital world, has acquired skills and specific preferences. So, as experts in media and SEM or SEO retainers on social networks, we need to take these characteristics into account when developing content marketing strategies and advertising in order to effectively connect with them and understand their preferences.