Gen Z Marketing Campaigns: Making TikTok Work For You

Let’s start by defining Generation Z…

Generation Z, or Gen Z for short, is the demographic following the millennials. It covers anyone born between 1995 and the early 2000s, and currently, this group makes up a whopping 32% of the global population. Unlike the millennial generation, Gen Z grew up in a world consumed by technology and the power of the internet. This has made marketing to this generation different in many ways…

Where will you find Gen Z? TikTok.

TikTok actually launched back in 2016, but it’s only been in the last couple of years that it has begun to dominate the world of social media, especially where Gen Z is concerned. TikTok has 800 million active users worldwide and is now the sixth largest social network.

This is a breakdown of TikTok users by age:

• 13-17: 27%
• 18-24: 42%
• 25-34: 16%
• 35-44: 8%
• 45-54: 3%
• 55+: 4%

What’s more, TikTok users spend an average of 46 minutes on the app every day. That gives your business the chance to get in front of your customers every single day. How do you effectively engage with Gen Z and make TikTok work for your business?

Avoid hard sells & be authentic

Growing up in a heavily digital world, Generation Z has seen every ad under the sun, through both traditional and digital marketing channels. Because of this, much of this generation have become less susceptible to this type of marketing and selling. To target Gen Z, you need to be smarter. This demographic is interested in more than just your product, you need to sell them your brand and overall experience. Be as authentic as possible, show them behind the scenes and share tips and tricks; focus on building trust and a relationship with your customers.

A brand who has done this really well through TikTok is PrettyLittleThing, sharing behind the scenes on shoots and in their office, as well as sharing exclusive content. Not only do they utilise the power of this content on their own account, but through their employees’ accounts.

@cissyjonessAnother day at work 🦄 Should I post more of my working days?! 😅 ##dreamjob ##plt ##jobgoals♬ original sound – claudrebecca

Make your content relatable

The key to marketing to this demographic is not only to post on the platforms they spend the most time on, but to get on their level. Focus on building a relationship with your customers, and providing a personalised experience. When Generation Z is making the decision to purchase, they are heavily influenced by reviews of their friends and influencers.

Micro-influencers

You should be creating content on TikTok that involves real people; your customers and micro-influencers. We’ve seen more and more brands investing their marketing budget into these types of influencers, but why?

• Micro-influencers have a niche, yet more engaged audience. This means that your content will reach more of the right people.
• Micro-influencers are seen as more transparent and are more likely to be trusted by the audience. This is key for Gen Z, who are more sceptical of sponsored content. In fact, 70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities.
• They are cheaper to work with, so you can work with a number of different influencers, rather than investing all your budget into someone with a larger following.

TikTok is buzzing with micro-influencers, so what are you waiting for?

Collaborate with your audience

But what about involving your audience? You can take your content one step further by getting your actual customers to collaborate with you on content. A great way to do this on TikTok is through the use of hashtags and duets; 35% of TikTok users have actually participated in a hashtag challenge! It’s a great way to get your audience involved, giving them the chance to feature on your page and get recognition from your brand.

From a marketing point of view, these loyal customers are also acting as micro influencers, endorsing your brand to their followers. As we know, Gen Z make their decision to buy based on reviews of friends, so endorsing your brand through a TikTok video is a great way to do this.

A recent example of this is from ex Love Island star Wes Nelson, who has recently released his new single. Wes started the trend by sharing a video put together by a couple of YouTubers who created a dance to his song. This started the #seenobody hashtag, and others soon began sharing their attempt at their dance to Wes’ new single, using the hashtag – in hopes of getting shared to his profile. This really does show how valuable user-generated content can be.

@wes.nelson##duet with @olivertoeneill Yooo this dance is crazy! Everyone go learn it to be the first to get this trending 🤟🏾🕺🏾💃🏾 ##seenobody♬ See Nobody – Wes Nelson & Hardy Caprio

Remember – Gen Z love video!

This is what makes the nature of TikTok one of the best ways to target this audience, for both organic and paid content. Gen Z has the attention span of about 8 seconds, so what better way to target them through a quick, high energy and engaging video? In under 60 seconds, you have the opportunity to engage this demographic. Whether that be through using popular music and sounds, TikTok trends or filters; get on their level, and get your message across. The FYP (for you page) on TikTok gives any of your videos the opportunity to go viral, unlike other social media platforms, each video is judged individually rather than using your past videos as a benchmark.

If you want to engage Generation Z, you need to create relatable content on the platforms they spend the most time on. So if Gen Z is your ideal audience and if you’re not on TikTok already, get started today! In creating authentic, relatable and relevant content, TikTok will allow you to create an invaluable bond with your potential customers. Need help getting started? Get in touch with our digital marketing team today!