How B2B Marketers Can Use Millennials To Prepare for Generation Z

It’s no question that millennials have significantly changed the way marketers do business. They are ditching traditional methods for the most modern and technologically advanced methods of communication. And just when you thought you had it all figured out…BOOM. Generation Z comes along. They’re growing up and it’s about time to start thinking about how to cater your marketing efforts to their needs.

Be authentic

Always be clear and consistent about what your brand is about. Nowadays, more and more brands are expressing their stance on politics and economic and environmental issues. If you follow that same path, make sure you actually believe what you’re telling people you believe. Millennials and Gen Z are much smarter than people give them credit for. They can and will sniff out the truth and will call you out on it.

Connect to them through social media

Social media is the quickest way to reach people and communicate a message, whether it’s a breaking news story or about the organic soy latte you had this morning for breakfast. There is not a millennial today that doesn’t have a smartphone or isn’t on at least one social media platform so don’t overlook social media as part of your strategy.

Update your creative elements

From time to time a little makeover is necessary. It makes the statement, “Hey, we’re here and we’re evolving with the times so you should do business with us.” A new logo or slogan or website design gives you the fresh start you need. Marketing is all about creating elements and an overall aesthetic that’s visually appealing. So, if you’re still using Comic Sans as your title font, it’s time for a makeover.

Also, don’t disregard your social media profiles when it comes to these new creative elements of yours. Think of your social profiles as mini-versions of your website. There needs to be a fluidity from your social profiles to your website, and vice versa.

Don’t be aggressive in your marketing

Millennials and Gen Z do not want a sales pitch. They simply want to have a conversation. So if you’re constantly shoving product down their throat or harassing them with a million pop-ups to sign up for your newsletter, they are more likely to get annoyed and leave your site. Just like in any relationship, you have to woo them. Provide them with real stories about real people they can relate to. It’s all about storytelling and as mentioned earlier, being authentic.

More on Generation Z…

Millennials and Gen Z have similar characteristics but differ in ways that are slowly making this iGeneration a valuable audience in their own right. Gen Z grew up in the age of iPads and smartphones and flat screen TVs. Unlike millennials, they don’t know a time where this stuff didn’t exist so this technology is naturally embedded in their brain. They are the most technologically fluent group of people on the planet and if marketers want a bite of their business, they must adhere to their habits.

Just like millennials, Gen Z wants to associate with brands and with content that add some sort of value to their life. However, Gen Z is more individualistic. They crave to be unique individuals. Since everything they do is posted online, they feel that there’s a lack of originality, and they seek this uniqueness in all aspects of their lives. The online world is constantly updating itself with a constant flow of information, so if you want to play, you have to keep up with this new way of life. And keep in mind that the average attention span of a Gen Z consumer is 8 seconds. Whether you have a video, blog post, or a website link, that’s how much time you have for them to decide whether or not they’re interested.

This may seem a bit overwhelming but if you follow these tips, you should have no problem appealing to this upcoming generation of consumers.