What kind of content Gen Z will consume?
The Gen Z is pretty choosy about the kind of content they consume and brands have their task cut out in delivering content that resonates with them.
Born between the years of 1998 and 2016, the Gen Zs have witnessed a time when technology-advancements were supposedly at its peak. They believe that technology is a way of life and smart devices should be within an arm’s reach. Hence this makes a lot of difference in their perception of social, political, economic, innovation, business, lifestyle and many more.
Taking a closer look at their tech habits, this generation prefers communicating over video calls, shops more online than any preceding generation, follows cooking videos and apps, invests on health matters in highly informed way, and mostly believes in security and stability when it comes to finances and careers.
This post-millennial generation is usually enticed with the stargazing apps and other interactive apps and games that hook them up on a daily basis. Wearables, smart clothing, hearables, virtual reality devices are the most popular among the Gen Z.
These changes have created a never-known-before generation where all the businesses are revolutionising at warp speed to connect to these savvy customers and understand their needs.
It is a fact that brands are already interacting with this latest generation, either as employers or service providers. They are able to understand that they hold a totally different approach while communicating, building network, review-based purchasing and connecting with brands that cater to more interactive content; and if the content or product seems to excite them, then the company could save on some marketing bucks on promoting it further.
GenZ will be the brand ambassador and willingly help in advocating it further through their social artillery. Here are a few tips which can come handy for companies while dealing and catering Gen Z.
Be precise
Gen Z likes content that could be consumed on the go. Unless the brand has a loyal fan base who will religiously consume your content irrespective of the length, ‘Snackable content’ is the king. Keeping the content precise and avoiding unnecessary build-up helps create compact content.
Unpredictably
Money Heist, Game of Thrones or even TikTok are among the most popular content platforms now-a-days, but the common factor between these platforms is ‘unpredictably’. One can never really predict what the next episode will be or what the next video on TikTok would be.
This is one of the important ingredients in creating content for this generation to ensure they continue to consume it over a period of time.
Relevant and relatable
Relevancy is one of the most prominent factors when you are focusing on a generation that is given to pragmatic thinking while discovering products/services. This generation likes to consume something that they can all relate to. Whether these are good moments that they had experienced in their lives or even the ones which weren’t pleasant but they will not mind laughing over it when they encounter a similar fictional situation.
Stand for something
Gen Z appreciates something that reflects values, principles and delivers a focused area which they can support. Especially, in case of a brand, they will welcome and stand by it, but there has to be a fair balance between these and not come across as a force-fit. At the same time, understanding their sentiments and being aware of what is happening around them.
Crowdsource
Crowdsourcing has been pretty successful in recent years. Be it creating a product or content, the value and authenticity of the output is much appreciated and the possibility of going ‘viral’ and reaching out to additional people is more likely.
Do not preach
While brands expressing their opinion are welcomed by this generation, there is a fine line between just expressing it and pushing it over to the viewers. If someone wants to make a certain point through their content, it is good to do it subtly, but going overboard or sounding preachy may backfire.
Don’t try too hard
Since this generation has access to many tools and mediums to create content on their own, they are content creators and also to a certain extent they are able to critique in a fairly balanced manner. It is advisable to think through how the brand has to be positioned. It is important to understand the niche audience and create content as relevant as possible for the audience.
Understanding the mentality and purchasing pattern of the Gen Z group is still growing and will take some more years to deliver a definitive assessment.
The generation is bound to evolve and surprise in the coming years and therefore it is necessary for strategies to be in sync in order to help brands cater to this changing consumer.
Today, organisations are making honest efforts to understand and communicate with this generation in an attempt to have a sustainable growth strategy driven by change and progress. The key for companies is to be aware of the demands of the cohort and continuously provide them with their needs and interests to stay relevant and competitive.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)