Generation Z are young adults born after 1996. According to Huff Post, they account for 25.9% of the U.S. population and add about $44 billion to the economy. They account for around 53 million workers in the U.S. Compare this to Generation Y, or millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996. Millennials account for an excess of 56 million workers in the U.S.

These adults have grown up surrounded by technology. They spend a lot of time on their phones or laptops. They use social media for everything from keeping in touch to searching for services and goods. Pew Research reports that YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram get the most traffic from adults between the ages of 18 and 29.

While older generations may be used to marketing materials like postcards and flyers in the mail, Generation Z and millennials spend a lot of time on social media. Traditional marketing methods may be lost on them. If you want to target them in your marketing campaign, you need to use these tips.

Go Where They Are

Stop using old marketing techniques. Go where your consumers are. You see reports that millennials are using YouTube the most, so make sure you create engaging videos and post them regularly. If you’re selling a kitchen product, Instagram and Pinterest can help you get photos of what your item can help others create.

Don’t Expect Them to Be Alike

Remember that Generation Z and millennial consumers are individuals. If you expect them to all have the same likes and dislikes, you’ll drive many away. You need to target them on a personal level. Don’t apply labels simply because of their age or gender.

Get to the Point

In 2000, the estimate was that a company had 12 seconds to catch a consumer’s attention. By 2014, that time was down to 8 seconds. You have just a few seconds to capture attention and draw the consumer’s interest. You have to get to the point and make sure consumers receive that short but sweet message.

Keep Auditing Your Website and Social Media Pages

You take the steps to embrace technology with your younger consumers. You get your name and information out there. You set up a website and social media accounts. Once that’s done, you stop updating with new blogs or social media posts. You don’t hire anyone to handle your social media marketing and reviews, questions, and comments get ignored. You can’t simply create what’s needed and ignore it. Make sure you keep interacting with your consumers.

Sell the Experience

You can market your item or service and simply tell your potential consumer what it is and does. That’s not going to catch the interest of many young adults. You need for them to experience it for themselves.

Birds Eye tested this theory by opening pop-up restaurants in different cities in the U.K. Diners could sit down for a dinner and try the different foods. The meals were free if the diners shared pictures of their meals on Instagram. It was a unique experience for Instagram users and got the company plenty of word-of-mouth marketing.

Tout Your Values

Younger adults have grown up learning how choices impact the environment. They’re seeing the effects of years of pollution. They know that things deemed safe decades ago aren’t really that safe after all. They’re concerned and relate best to those who share their values.

If you share values you know they’ll appreciate, talk about it. Interact with them about what you’re doing and how you hope it will affect future generations. For example, Toms is a for-profit apparel, shoe, and coffee company that takes your purchase and matches it. If you buy a pair of shoes, they donate a pair of shoes to someone going without. If you buy coffee, clean water is distributed to those who need it. However you spend your money, someone in the world is getting something they desperately need.

Do you feel like you’re in over your head? We get it. Marketing to Generation Z and the Millennial crowd isn’t easy. Don’t let it stress you. Factory 360 is ready to help you come up with a brilliant marketing campaign that will draw and hold their interest.

Trust in our experiential marketing experts to engage your target audience. We can help you with mobile tours, social media integration, and public relation. That’s just a small sampling of the services we offer. Give our New York or California offices a call at 212-242-2417 or email us to discuss how we can help.