Gen-Z will be the first generation to grow up completely surrounded by social media and technology since birth. Let that sink in. The generation, which was born after 1996, accounts for 61 million people in the U.S., a number that’s already larger than Generation X and two-thirds the size of the baby boomers.
Nowadays, the average American spends a whopping 12 hours per day digesting digital media. This shift towards consuming more and more online media is largely due to the shift in population—Millennials and Gen-Z are challenging companies to think differently. Businesses can no longer stick to their old ways of creating media and content. With these new shifts, come new attitudes.
As Gen-Z begins to establish the way they want to receive and engage with media, they’re also re-establishing what types of media they want. Here’s what’s shifting:
They Want Authenticity
As resentment towards intrusive marketing tactics deepen, demand for more “authentic” and shareable content is rapidly increasing. If you want to gain the attention of Millennials and Gen-Z, use the power and appeal of branded content, a progressive form of advertising that uses original content as a means of creating brand awareness and aligning your company with certain values.
Branded content is more than a buzzword. We are living in a world where, due to easily accessible information, there are 14-year-olds with political views and beliefs—and they’re making their voices heard! Gen-Z stands for diversity, equality, individuality, creativity, and justice. Want these young people to buy your product? Get them to buy into your brand first. The most promising way you can do that is by showing them that you believe in what they believe in, and meaning it.
According to Google’s research, consumers choose the brands that engage them on their passions 42% more often than they do with brands that simply urge them to buy the product. Research also proves that the use of branded content is the best way to establish this type of connection.
They Hate Online Ads
These young people are making it clear—they hate ads! In 2018, 30% of all internet users opted to block online ads and 69% of Gen-Z already avoid ads. And who could blame them? Online ads are typically rooted in terrible end-user experiences. They’re a video generation, yet advertisers continue to push ads to them via videoless, noninteractive mediums. These young adults are using ad blockers and skipping as much content as they can in an attempt to cut through the clutter.
They Love Videos
Fifty-three percent of online viewers watch videos to be inspired or entertained, and YouTube is the number one platform 18-34 year olds use to explore their passions. Stacy DeBroff, CEO and founder of Influence-Central, says, “This generation has grown up with instant response as its baseline expectation.” Having branded content in the medium Gen-Z likes to receive it (video) is how marketers are going to meet that expectation. Visuals and videos have truly surged, and consumers—particularly Millennials and Gen-Z— have embraced pictures and videos as a way to gather and share information.
All of this goes to show that typical TV and print ads have become a thing of the past. With an increasingly digital world, paired with a rising generation that hates advertisements but love videos, it’s safe to say that a shift toward more engaging, branded, visual media is soon to become a necessity.
They Expect Tailored Content
As the demand for video content continues to grow, marketers must also be aware that the one-size-fits-all approach to their advertising strategies are soon to also become a thing of the past. Running the same video campaign across all digital channels won’t be enough to address Gen-Z’s need for content. A consumer’s attention span for an ad on digital is much shorter than it is for one on TV, which means different story arcs and ways of triggering emotion are needed. Even the part of the screen that viewers focus on while watching a video varies from TVs to laptops to cell phones.
There are vast opportunities that come with the new digital revolution, but there are also new practices and ways of thought that marketers, and businesses alike, must consider. Recognizing and embracing these changes are the only way marketers are going to be able to truly capture the attention of Gen-Z. This is a generation with a set of goals and beliefs that are waiting to be tapped into. These young people want to engage in authentic dialogue and be inspired by the content they’re exposed to. Do your advertisements answer this call?
Want to engage the coveted Millennial and Gen-Z demographics with branded content? Finding the right partner is key to your success. Here at YMC, we’ve been helping brands connect with 15- to 29-year-old consumers for two decades—and we’d be happy to share our wealth of knowledge with you. Contact us today!
4 Ways to Build a Word of Mouth Marketing Campaign
Word of mouth marketing campaigns are an engaging way to develop brand loyalty, trust, and conversation among potential customers. Below are four tips to kickstart your campaign and ensure that your efforts will positively shift customer perception and increase awareness of your brand.
Start with your employees
Happy employees are oftentimes your most accessible brand advocates, and therefore a reliable and valuable resource to utilize when starting your word of mouth marketing efforts. These individuals know your brand best and can inform potential customers about your products and services both digitally and in person. Further, employees can easily and thoroughly answer questions their network may have about your brand, which can increase chances of trial, purchase, or conversion.
Create a structured system to educate employees on their advocacy options and watch buzz around your brand increase efficiently and cost-effectively.
Offer an incentive
People (employees included) are more likely to take an action or share something about your brand if they receive some sort of value in return. It’s all about mutually beneficial relationships! Examples of popular action-inspiring incentives include cash, discounts on future purchases, exclusive access to upgrades or new products, gift cards, and promotional items.
Referral programs are another well-known incentive embedded into word of mouth campaigns, as they offer customers a reward when they share positive information about your brand. Airbnb is an example of a company that implemented a structured referral program to incentivize customers to spread their positive sentiments towards the brand. One of their past models encouraged existing customers to invite friends to join Airbnb by giving both the sender and the recipient a $25 travel credit when the user completed their first trip. As a result, Airbnb gained 300% more bookings and sign-ups than before the referral program was implemented. Further, their company found that the customers they gained through referral programs booked more reservations, became hosts more often, and referred more users.
With the right strategy, an incentive can help you not only reach new customers, but loyal ones, as well.
Build a close knit community
Social media is another great tool. Strong, engaging content tends to reach customers outside of your follower base through retweets, tags, shares, or reposts, which can spark curiosity, create additional brand awareness, and inspire conversation. Nike’s Twitter support account, @NikeSupport, is a great example of a brand that has successfully used their platform to make it easy for customers to engage. By consistently answering customers questions in a timely fashion, the brand’s social media platform has become a portal for building customer trust.
Engaging with platforms that host online consumer reviews such as Amazon or Yelp, or building your own, is another great way to converse with customers. 62% of consumers search online for reviews and information before purchasing a product. Further, it has been suggested that 88% of people trust online reviews written by consumers as much as recommendations from personal contacts.
Business reviews and strategic social communication can both work in tandem to help shape and bolster a company’s online reputation. By meeting customers where they are, brands can not only join the conversation, but also, listen and learn about their customers and their needs, as well.
Connect with micro influencers
Micro influencers, oftentimes doubling as student brand ambassadors, are individuals with a strong following and power to influence the beliefs and behaviors of potential customers within your key demographic.These individuals will ideally serve as the face and voice of your brand among their networks, making your products and services more accessible, relevant, and appealing.
When selected carefully, these individuals can also work to authentically support existing marketing efforts by creating on-brand social content, sharing reviews of your product offerings or services, and providing exclusive discounts to interested consumers. Research shows that 40% of people say they’ve purchased an item online after seeing it used by an influencer on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, which shows just how impactful and rewarding their presence can be. Work to establish expectations with these influencers and equip them with the tools to represent your brand, and you’re bound to gain the eyes and ears of an impressionable new audience.
In summary, whether your leveraging employees, micro influencers, or customers, you’ll want to make sure that you’re providing them with something valuable in exchange for their time. Once you’ve created a word of mouth marketing strategy to attract new customers and keep your brand advocates happy, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is for your word of mouth marketing campaign to grow to new and unforeseen heights.
Want to launch a word of mouth marketing campaign with your brand but aren’t sure how to get started? Finding the right partner is key to your success. Here at YMC, we’ve been helping brands connect with 15- to 29-year-old consumers for two decades—we’d be happy to share our wealth of knowledge with you. Contact us today!
Incorporating Influencer Marketing into Your Next Campaign
The continually evolving digital landscape has caused a rise in the popularity of influencer marketing, changing the way brands advertise and launch new products. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever for influencers to digitally share what they’re excited about—and savvy marketers have taken notice. Brands across all industries are turning to influencer marketing as an alternative to traditional advertising, which can be expensive and inefficient.
Instead of focusing on their target market as a whole, brands are identifying “influencers,” or individuals who have influence over potential consumers, and building campaigns around them—and the timing couldn’t be better. Consumers are increasingly distrusting of traditional advertising (83% of Millennials and Gen-Z trust the recommendations of their peers above all other forms of advertising). And it makes sense—you’re more likely to trust the recommendation of your good friend Sally than a commercial.
You may be asking, “Who are these influencers, what do they look like, and how do I find them?” Great questions! Recruiting and selecting influencers for your campaign can be tricky business. It doesn’t matter how much strategy and thought goes into the campaign—if you select the wrong influencers, it can be detrimental. With different brands looking for different qualities in their influencers, it’s important to do your research. Here are three qualities we always look for in every influencer:
They’re connected and engaged via social media 24/7—it’s a central component of their native social lives
They’re experts at producing compelling content across all social channels, including Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube
They’re great communicators—able to clearly convey the core value of products and services
Some influencer campaigns are sales and acquisition based, while others are focused on brand awareness. Before selecting influencers for your brand, get crystal clear on your goals and what you expect from your influencers.
Here are four factors to consider:
Macro vs Micro Influencers
Celebrities and macro influencers (AKA Instagram celebrities) typically have hundred of thousands to millions of followers. While these types of influencers have the highest reach, they don’t necessarily have the greatest amount of influence. Because of their high follower count and/or name recognition, they’re always being approached by brands, which means they’re typically promoting many products at the same time, making them appear less authentic and more salesy. However, due to the sheer size of their following, they may be perfect for a brand awareness campaign.
Micro influencers typically reach an extremely targeted audience. While they tend to have fewer followers than Instagram celebrities, they normally enjoy a higher level of engagement, likely because they appear more relatable. They aren’t strangers—they’re your sorority sister, your lab partner, your class president. Micro influencers can have immense influence because they have a more authentic relationship with their social media followers.
Brand Fit
This one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s incredibly important to select influencers whose personal brands align with your brand. For example, a brand selling weight loss products shouldn’t try to partner with a body-positive activist. It would dilute the validity of the brand and the influencer alike. Where as a skincare brand would partner well with a micro-influencer student who is studying dermatology. Finding an influencer who embodies the brand doesn’t just lead to his or her individual success, it ensures the success of the entire campaign. Aerie, the body-positive female retail brand does an incredible job selecting appropriate influencers. Their spokesmodel, Iskra Lawrence, is known as a body positive activist and aligns perfectly with the brand.
Digital Footprint
The right influencers are able to successfully reach and influence hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people at once. This influence is created through an engaged social media following, a strategic and unique posting style, and an informed knowledge of the overall digital landscape. Additionally, your product should align with what the influencer typically shares on their social channels, otherwise their followers are going to recognize the branded post as an ad and tune out. You wouldn’t see the woman on the cover of Forbes posting about her paid sponsorship with fitness tea.
Short-Term vs Long-Term Relationships
Many brands work with a variety of influencers on a short term basis, exchanging product and/or compensation for a fixed number of social posts. However, more and more brands are looking to create long-term partnerships with influencers who may become something of a spokesperson. This strategy creates the opportunity for your brand to develop a meaningful relationship and for influencers to generate authentic content over time.
Keep in mind, not all influencers are created equal. Your brand must be selective when choosing which influencers to partner with. Never make the decision solely by looking at an individual’s follower count. Trust me—you won’t get the results you’re looking for. In order to launch a successful influencer campaign, you must take the time to properly vet potential influencers, making the best choice for your brand.
Want to leverage micro influencers on campus but aren’t sure how to get started? Finding the right partner is key to your success. Here at YMC, we’ve been helping brands connect with 15- to 29-year-old consumers for two decades—we’d be happy to share our wealth of knowledge with you. Contact us today!
