Over the years, marketers have adapted well to the ever-changing times and business landscapes. From Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials, every period in time has its fair share of marketing challenges. But this is the first time that a generation is born without witnessing the world with no Internet! The shift now is evident as we transition from traditional print advertisements to the dynamic world of digital marketing.
But first… What Is Digital Marketing?
Generally speaking, digital marketing includes any marketing efforts that are done through the Internet and other electronic devices. From the ads you see on Facebook to the sponsored search results on Google, that’s digital marketing! It is literally everywhere. More than this definition, we want you to realize that this is a huge part of our digital lives as the iGeneration. Read on to have a grasp about Digital Marketing because we made sure to include relatable Gen Z experiences. Spoiler alert: It involves flirting!
OK, Zoomer! Now what?
There is definitely a need for Digital Marketing in this age. Look back into the first quarter of 2020, who would’ve thought then that we would be stuck in a year-long quarantine and doing semesters online? But it had to be done because it simply was needed – our world was purely online and we cannot hold face-to-face classes. In short, even our schools adjusted to cater to the need.
Guess what? That is also exactly the reason why there is a need for Digital Marketing: because the times call for it! A big chunk of the market has shifted online so you, as a brand, must follow them there in the digital space. Even your competitors are most likely there so why shouldn’t you?! Go hold the power now…
Being Mobile-Friendly is Key
As true digital natives, Gen Z uses multiple gadgets all at the same time. Many of us will use a desktop or laptop for school or extracurricular work, but everything else–social media, online shopping or browsing web content, are mostly done on our hand-held devices. We literally cannot live a day without our phones! It’s the air that we breathe (we are not even exaggerating here).
More importantly, according to a survey by IBM, 75% of the iGeneration selected mobile phones as the device they use most. Digital marketing should therefore focus on providing a seamless customer experience, focusing on a mobile-first approach.
The goal is to keep the marketing campaigns accessible in Gen Z’s hands–or in our pockets maybe, right?
Do It for the Gram: Marketing like influencers
We’re sure you’ve heard of this phrase which basically means that you should live life, take photos and know which ones are Instagram-worthy that you should post on your Instagram feed for your followers to see. I’m sure you also know that, like Digital Marketing, this screams CONTENT. The importance of content is loudly repeated in Digital Marketing from knowing your target market to showing them your offerings.
content is king (in digital marketing!)
Since “content is king,” you should post content that is fun and appealing for your audience so that they will be enticed to talk about it. This improves the chances of improving your online engagements! Much like everybody, Gen Z values content (I mean, who wouldn’t right?) so digital marketers must also ensure that their content is worthwhile so that your audience can find what they are searching for, and stick with you.
consistency is too!
If you follow influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms, you would notice that most of them have an aesthetic (most observable due to the color palettes!) that they try to maintain throughout the feed and it helps in keeping their IG feed organized and pleasing to the eyes. If you’re curious, go visit the walls of The Minimalist, Matt Crump, and kimi juan on IG! Creating content for digital marketing also needs this kind of meticulousness when it comes to consistency. This can be done by creating content that lets your audience consistently see what your brand really carries and believes in. It may be as simple as them knowing when to expect our next content may it be an article, a picture, or any other thing!
Hey look! You need to note that before moving onto the IG aesthetics, you must first have photos that actually make sense. You can’t just put anything there for the sake of putting it there! Similarly, you must ensure that you are making meaningful content before considering other things like consistency of content and posting.
Go check out our post on creating engaging posts!
Keeping it Short and Simple
You might be surprised to know that the current measure of the older millennials’ attention span is 12 seconds… Well, guess what? The i-Generation consumers have an even shorter record of 8 seconds! That is less than a goldfish!
Digital Marketers need to note that this segment was born in the digital landscape dominated by screens and smartphones–and an infinite source of immediate answers thanks to Google. It is now harder to grab our attention with all the wordy and static advertisements. Gen Z also sense hard-selling tactics that bore them and automatically turn down.
Pro-tip: Engage them right away!
Since it is a crucial point to capture and retain their attention, social media platforms have curated advertising options to this audience like the Snapchat and Instagram’s 10-second story limit and YouTube’s 6-second ad. Gen Z’s current favorite app, Tiktok, has also perfected the art of short-span content with their trendy 15-60 second videos across the app. Even more interesting, TikTok has a For You Page (FYP), which consists of videos related to ones you have watched, liked and interacted with. Fascinating trick, that will keep you hooked forever!
Gen Z is also an interactive generation, so aside from content videos, you must be equipped with pictures, polls, comments, quizzes and user-generated content to totally captivate this audience’s attention. Make the most out of the 8 seconds!
So basically… Digital Marketing is like Online Flirting
You probably know about the online flirting platforms like Tinder and Bumble, right? Gen Z must be really good at this (be mindful of the legal age, atleast!). This is where you look into different profiles, swipe either left (for dislike) or right (for like), and just wait for a match. Well, Digital Marketing is very similar to that!
so what marketing lessons can we learn in flirting?
One lesson in online flirting that you must take into consideration for Digital Marketing is this: put yourself out there! You won’t be noticed if you don’t go to where your target audience is. Before you do that though, we need to make sure you are ready! Here are the things you must consider:
- Since it is so easy to “swipe left”, you gotta make sure that your content hooks your audience with the goal of making them actually “swipe right.” In a world full of endless content, make sure that you stand out!
- You gotta be authentic! Showing your true self in online dating platforms is important to show the world that you are confidently beautiful (yes, this is a Pia Wurtzbach reference). The same goes with Digital Marketing! You have to show them your real and authentic brand image because audiences want brand personas that understands them and that they can relate to!
- Show them you’re legit: I know you hate catfishers and fake accounts on online dating platforms (and we do too!). So in your digital marketing venture, make sure to show them that you are a legitimate and trustworthy brand. You can do this simply by having complete details on your Facebook page and/or providing user-generated content (i.e. customer reviews, and the like).
So that’s it, go flirt – we mean, go show off your personality and branding and match the Gen Z energy! We are definitely the new kids (literally) on the block that digital marketers should keep an eye on! Go cool kids!
Read more about digital marketing in our articles here!