Gen Z can truly be called the digital generation. They grew up in the world of social media, smartphones, and cheap internet. So where does this generation spend most of its time? The obvious answer is – on Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube! That’s right, Gen Z uses these three platforms the most, and Facebook is only fourth on the list. Shunning Facebook from the top seat this generation may seem unpredictable. However, they do talk online about products and services a lot, quite like their predecessors – the Millennials. So we decided to take a dive into the purchase habits of Gen Z consumers, decipher them, and gain some insights.
Social Listening helps to Understand GenZ Consumers
Understanding these young minds isn’t difficult especially when they are ready to interact with you online. Social listening platforms like Auris are capable of researching insights from these conversations. Here’s an analysis of how this generation likes to shop and arrive at such decisions.
They Love Authentic Content
Remember what we told you about millennials in our previous blog posts, and extend it to Gen Z because Gen Z consumers too love authenticity. Any marketer would be happy to know that Gen Z talks about purchases they make or want to make online – a lot! The previous generations discussed such matters with friends and family members. But for Gen Z, online influence is greater. For them, influencers and the Instagram-culture are the new normal. And usually, any authentic and favorable content from their favorite influencers drives them to make purchase decisions.
For marketers trying to figure out the connection, Gen Z might seem young, childish and their loyalty fleeting. But their behavior can be understood clearly from social data. Listen to the chatter, connect with them, and offer values that compliment their lifestyle. This increases your chances of converting them into your paying customers.
More Original Influencer Marketing Content
Like we mentioned in the previous section, Gen-Zers would rather trust a review video on Youtube by an Influencer than your online product brochure. Morning Consult’s report confirms this. They reported that 52% of Gen-Zers trust influencers they follow. However, not every influencer would be able to sell your product to them. If you analyze the most popular influencer campaigns for this generation, you will notice authenticity is a big element. Social listening to the chatter on some of the influencer posts we saw a higher purchase intent on a post made by Summer Mckeen than on Kendal Jenner’s. A deeper dive into this will show you the sentiment for these audience members.
This Generation is Really Smart
Lastly, members of Gen-Z might be young but they are probably the smartest when it comes to being tech-savvy. McKinsey says 65% of Gen-Zers say they like to know what’s in vogue and wish to be in control. They are true digital natives and thanks to their savviness they are well-informed. Before making a purchase, they would spend hours on research. They evaluate the information online. They visit your website, read reviews, watch videos, and make informed decisions. To impress this generation make sure that the information about your brand as well as product is readily available and transparent. Keep an eye on what others are saying about your brand because all these reviews matter to GenZ folks.
In conclusion, Gen Z is easy to understand if you are listening to them and acting responsibly. Reports show they are 59% more likely to connect with brands on social media than the previous generations. So you have to stay alert for any negative review that comes your way. These folks are active on social media and will call you out. Social media monitoring helps you receive real-time alerts. Use its help well to win these young consumers over.