Any smart business owner or marketer will tell you the exact same thing if the topic turns to Gen Z’s buying habits and how it affects their businesses.
Your products and services may not be showing up on Gen Z’s smartphones, so it is likely that they aren’t.
If you’re not driving your marketing team nuts with the simple mantra “mobile first”, you’re probably not keeping an eye on this customer segment.
Gen Z, born after 1996, is a digital native who prefers to shop online for the majority of their goods. This generation’s purchasing power will only increase over time, so it is important to accept this fact as a business person.
However, brick-and-mortar owners don’t need to despair.
Gen Z will walk the extra mile to get to your door if you provide them with a compelling reason. You must first do your research to find out what the preferences and likes of this market segment are.
Gen Z customers will be your future customer base. This relationship must be both positive and negative. A successful online presence encourages sales, and offers tempting invitations to visit your base of operations. Below are some basic guidelines.
Gen Z is prone to FOMO. That’s okay!
Nearly all Gen Z-ers believe that the Fear of Missing Out is their dominant reality. The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it the possibility of an uncertain future, just as many were beginning to get their driver’s license.
First, address your reasonable fears.
This means demonstrating your company’s commitment to protecting in-person visitors from illness and other threats. If you play loose with your customers’ well-being, large swathes of the Gen Z market may write off an instore visit.
Positively, you can observe the FOMO phenomenon by simply paying attention to the time a Gen Z-er waits to sign up for an event. They believe that a better, or perhaps safer, offer might come along. Once they have committed, a better offer may come along, but now things get awkward. This customer group cannot stand awkward.
For example, business owners can use FOMO to their advantage by creating in-store events and promotions that are limited time. A two-hour event is more effective than a two-week-long run.
You can expect positive responses only if your target audience is aware of what you are up to. This brings us to the next point.
You don’t exist if you aren’t on YouTube, Instagram or Snapchat.
The fact that Gen Z was raised with smartphones from an early age shows how impatient, or worse, lack of interest, they have with traditional media outlets.
Newspapers, magazines and radio are all great for their respective purposes. But not if you want to reach Gen Z.
Snapchat and Instagram are the main means of communication for Gen Z at this point. This may seem strange to Boomers. But Gen Z-ers are more likely to videochat with people via Instagram and Snapchat than to use their phone to make a call.
Business owners may want to consider offering live video chats, or adequately preparing staff to respond to video requests via these platforms. Live video chats that feature excitement and visual appeal are a great idea. It’s like a sneak peek that you offer potential visitors.
Gen Z uses social media for browsing people, places and things that interest them. Then, they decide whether to spend more time with someone or something. For business owners looking to attract Gen Z to their retail outlets, they should publish Instagram stories and Snapchat videos. These videos will highlight your facility in a way that isn’t possible to see in full on a screen.
If there is nothing exciting about visiting your facility these messages will quickly wear thin with Gen Z.
Gen Z is (and will continue to be) more educated…and much more diverse.
While what worked in 2010 may have been hugely successful, business owners fail to recognize the growing diversity and education level of Gen Z.
Retailers who think that a Gen Z customer’s reluctance is a sign of laziness or inability to shop in person are not really getting to know them. Gen Z is energetic and eager to live an adventurous lifestyle. Your business must find a way to harness that energy and generate excitement for customers visiting your store.
Gen Z will do the same and conduct extensive online research to find out more about each product. The online reputation of a manufacturer or brand is very important. How can you adapt your in-person offerings so that they don’t affect brand or product credibility?
Marketers who were born before 1996 can learn a lot from Gen Z by being attentive and making notes about what ignited their teenage or young adult to get off the couch.
The bottom line
Marketing efforts that shoot for the lowest-common-denominator can expect to receive a chilly reception. Gen Z can also be turned off by ads featuring little or no diversity.
These customers are smart enough to know that you want their money. It is your job to make what you offer fun and last a lifetime. Market as an experience, not a transaction. Find out the answer. Why would a Gen Z-er, or anyone with a smartphone for that matter, drive to your store?
Marketing Insider Group’s post How to Get Gen Z to Your Store appeared first.
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By: Mikel Fields
Title: How to Coax Gen Z Into Your Store
Sourced From: marketinginsidergroup.com/marketing-strategy/coax-gen-z-to-your-physical-store/
Published Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:05:06 +0000
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