The generation of memes, zero tolerance, and empowerment: as of 2019, The United States alone is a host to 74 million people belonging to Generation Z.
The Gen Z (born between 1995-2012, according to TIME) hasn’t lived in a world without the internet (it was commercialized in 1995), which is why ignorance is no excuse.
As this generation is the inherent future and the recipient of your businesses, as an owner, you need to ensure that your objectives are being communicated with utmost clarity to the newest generation.
With technological advancement, the media has changed drastically over the years: newspapers are on the verge of retirement, and content for consumption is almost always in our pockets.
Today’s customers have their eyes glued to their mobile phones and are constantly processing more information than one thought possible. Now, more than ever, is the time for businesses to get their word out to this select group.
Generation Z is one of the biggest audiences of the beauty and fashion purveyor, and thus the communication to them needs to hit the bull’s eye. The generation has a zero-tolerance policy against racism, bigotry, inequality, injustice, sexism, and more.
To hold their interest a brand needs to respect, if not practice, their customers’ values and beliefs if they expect brand loyalty in return.
Content is communication, and creating compelling content for the beauty industry is one of the most significant factors in bringing in customers and driving sales.
And curating content best suited for Generation Z doesn’t have to be challenging when you know how they operate and what they like.
Thus, the beauty and fashion industry needs to start communicating with them in their own language.
Read along to find out how to best target the elusive Generation Z with beauty content marketing strategies.
The General Gen Z Traits
Selling an ice-cream to someone with a dislike for it can be a daunting task, but if the ice-cream vendor is privy to their penchant for strawberry, they might be able to convince them to try out a strawberry cone.
Marketing is much like this. To sell your product to the target audiences, your marketing team must first be privy to the likes and dislikes of your (potential) customers.
In simple words, know your audience!
Most of today’s teenagers and young adults are empathetic, socially, and environmentally conscious, smart, and creative. Most importantly, they are firm believers in practicing their choice; for the people of Gen Z, the right to choose is a must.
Your beauty brand will flourish with Gen Zers if you can prove to them that your brand is inclusive, ethical, and animal-friendly. Remember, the customer is responsible for your brand’s success.
Now is the time of Generation Z, so opting out of testing your beauty products on animals or creating an all-inclusive base for your customers, such as Fenty Beauty, Smashbox, or ColourPop, can help your brand stand out from your competition.
The Age of Information
This is why this generation is against all kinds of homophobia, racism, bigotry, inequality, bullying, injustice, and sexism.
They are active in social and political injustices: they understand that they are the future and take it upon themselves to fight against such practices and stand up for what they think is right.
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Creating Generation Z-friendly content can be very easy if the curator includes issues that are important to this generation.
While choosing keywords and SEO for the beauty industry, content creators can opt for politically correct phrases that strike the right chord in their readers.
Acknowledging the Differences
There is no doubt about the apparent differences between the generations. Most, if not all, of the Generation Z, would not agree with their Baby Boomer grandparents’ values and mindset.
Content marketing for Generation Z can be efficient if the content developer and the brand acknowledge the differences among these generations and accept them for their diverse choices.
Creating content with an open mind and sensitivity will go a long way in holding your Gen Z customers’ attention.
For example, a simple thing such as maintaining a gender-neutral tone by using inclusive pronouns and steering clear of explicit references to one’s gender, sexuality or religion, can be enough to get an appreciation from this select group.
Empowerment and Sustainability
Empowerment and sustainability is a major concern for them as over 80% of Gen Z from Southeast Asia maintain that they prefer to engage with ethical and sustainable brands.
Therefore, one of the best ways to efficiently create strategies around content marketing for Generation Z is to promote sustainability.
Brands that use ethically sourced products and offer environmentally friendly options such as minimal plastic packaging can and should market themselves as such.
By empowering your customer, whether by manufacturing cosmetic shades that expand to all human skin tones or choosing traditionally marginalized individuals as a brand ambassador, you can market yourself effectively to your potential customers.
This can include having plus-sized female models for a lingerie brand or men for makeup. Finding out the likes of Gen Z wouldn’t be hard as they tend to be vocal about their perceptions.
Guerrilla marketing would be much appreciated by the Gen Z demographic.
The Role of (Micro) Influencers for Generation Z Marketing
Given the rates the influencers charge to market any product, there shouldn’t be a doubt that influencer marketing doesn’t work.
We are in times where a generation credibly and successfully sells a product to the audiences of the same generation.
Gone are the days when teenagers wouldn’t buy a product that isn’t promoted by the Spice Girls.
Nowadays, one teenager active on Instagram or TikTok holds as much credibility as an expert, which is why influencer marketing is so popular and successful.
Beauty brands would benefit significantly if they invest in marketing their products to Generation Z via influencers while expanding their content to educational written blogs.
Asia and Generation Z: What Makes Them Different From the US and Europe
We wouldn’t be a beauty content agency that specializes in internationalization and localization without looking at different markets.
As much as certain traits are universal in certain generations there are also huge differences between bigger markets.
Teenagers and young adults in the US and Europe have much more in common compared to those in Asia and the Pacific.
Although there are obvious differences from country to country as well, there are certain traits APAC Gen Zers have in common.
For example, “they want it all – and are used to getting it” as one McKinsey study found, and they do not only like to research their brands, they are more likely to look for discounts.
They can be considered “spontaneous premium shopaholics.”
They love to shop premium but don’t want to spend as much, especially when many of them don’t work full-time.
They love to shop, and they enjoy every part of the process. They love researching, comparing, touching, visiting, and clicking. They are brand loyal and trade up to pricier brands when they can afford to do so.
And what’s also very important for your brand to consider is as much as they idolize the US entertainment industry, they have their own local role models.
On top, they increasingly value being addressed in their native language. They’ve made the effort to learn English, now they want your brands to speak their language too.
Best Beauty Content Marketing Strategies for Your Gen Z Audience
Now that you have some idea about the preferences of your Gen Z customer base, it is time you work on creating the best beauty content marketing strategies for your new audience.
Remember to keep your content simple but transparent when it comes to spreading a message.
It is best to include specifically selected keywords in all your web content and, most importantly, have your brand come across as decent and sensitive for the empathetic Generation Z audiences.
Some additional tips to get your content Generation Z friendly are as follows:
1. Employ a gender-neutral tone on the material for Gen Z (like this article)
2. Keep an inclusive work team that is known to the customer
3. Keep your brand diverse in every field (race, gender, size, etc.)
4. Promote (and practice) sustainability
5. Be vocal against animal cruelty and injustices
6. Stand by (and practice) ethical manufacturing
7. Be open to criticism
8. Partner up with micro-influencers
Besides this, it is beneficial for brands to educate the audiences against recent social and ethical developments, such as talking (in a sensitive manner) about the recent #BLM movement, and pledging your support to black-owned beauty brands while explaining to your Instagram followers or the readers of your shop’s blog why their support to such brands is crucial.
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Header Image Source: Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash
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