How to Market Your Small Business to Gen Z Customers

September 10, 2024

With Gen Z reaching adulthood, it’s time for your company to buckle down and begin determining how best to secure business from these individuals. Like the generations that came before them, Gen Z has unique consumer habits. Without adapting or building upon your existing marketing strategies, you may miss out on connecting with this audience.

Even as a small business, it’s well worth your time to establish a thoughtful strategy for promoting your products and services to Gen Z customers. We’ll cover the top Gen Z consumer trends and three strategies you can implement to connect with them and grow your revenue.

Gen Z Consumer Trends

Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, is the generational cohort succeeding Millennials. Generally, this term refers to individuals born in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s. While generational cutoff points are not an exact science, many define Gen Z as those born between 1997 and 2012.

For some, Gen Z is known as the “True Gen,” a cohort defined by their desire and search for truth. They constantly seek authenticity, freedom of expression, and understanding of others. These core values shape their purchasing habits.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Gen Z consumer behavior:

• They’re the generation most likely to shop via social media.
• They are informed consumers who will research and weigh options before making a purchase.
• They are much less attached to specific brands, preferring to shop around for the best deal.
• They mobilize themselves for various causes and care deeply about ethics.

For members of Gen Z, great customer service and high-quality products or services aren’t enough to secure their purchase. You must go beyond that to form connections with them and show that your business is worth buying from.

3 Strategies for Marketing Your Business to Gen Z

1. Promote your business through social media.

According to MassageBook, social media marketing is one of the best ways to promote your small business, as it’s by far the best way to spread awareness of your products and services to a wide audience. A thoughtful strategy is even more important when it comes to appealing to members of Gen Z, as 97% of them use social media platforms as their top source of shopping inspiration.

To address this audience’s digital browsing habits, promote your small business on:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Pinterest
• TikTok

Video content is king.

With 65% of Gen Z consumers saying that they use social media to find entertaining content and 61% of them specifically interested in watching video content, it’s clear that videos should be the cornerstone of your social media strategy. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are particularly well-suited to this medium.

If you don’t have experience with video editing or filming, don’t let that hold you back! 

Keep in mind that Gen Z is the cohort always in search of authenticity, and that’s reflected in the type of content they engage with. Popular videos are often filmed on smartphones in almost any setting—there’s no need to worry about being super polished, as viewers value genuine expression. For your small business, you can expect to plan and script videos for social media content, but you don’t need to spend too much time editing.

2. Establish strong loyalty programs.

Since Gen Z has a lower sense of brand loyalty than previous generations, you must take active steps to foster that sense of loyalty. One way you can do that is by establishing a strong program that incentivizes repeat customer purchases.

Here are a few types of loyalty programs your business can try:

Points-Based Programs

In these programs, each purchase is given a specific point value, usually 1:1 with the number of dollars spent. Customers can use accrued points to purchase additional perks or tap into discounts. For example, a massage business might offer a 10% massage billing discount or a set of scented massage oils for 100 points.

Tiered programs

Businesses set tiers or levels, and once customers make enough purchases, they’ll move up a tier and receive more perks or discounts. A great example of a tiered program is Nordstrom’s Nordy Club—as an ambassador, the highest tier, you can attend invite-only events and receive personal in-home styling appointments.

Punch Cards

With a punch card, customers must make a specific number of purchases to receive a free item or service. For example, a bakery might create a punch card system where, after purchasing 10 cookies, they get their next cookie free.

Membership programs

Membership programs are best suited to service-based businesses. With this loyalty program, customers will pay upfront for a set number of services, usually at a small discount. Then, they’re given a set amount of time to receive these services. Gym memberships are a great example—members pay a fee for a month’s access to the gym’s facilities.

Promoting loyalty programs on your website.

If you establish one of these loyalty programs, create a dedicated page listing all its details, terms and conditions, and any frequently asked questions. Include buttons that link to your sales pages so customers can easily navigate to your items and services after viewing your program’s details.

Depending on your business, you may not be able to create a standard loyalty program. If so, get flexible with discounts and perks to inspire loyalty in other ways. For example, a summer camp might try to increase enrollment and retention by offering discounts to families with children who have previously attended their camp.

3. Highlight your corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Just as members of Gen Z have shown their dedication to ethics and willingness to mobilize for various causes, it’s important to show that your business is aligned with making a positive impact in the world. One of the best ways to do that is to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Double the Donation defines CSR as “a company’s efforts to improve society in some way.” This can look like:

• Donating cash or in-kind gifts to nonprofits
• Encouraging employees to volunteer at charitable organizations
• Implementing sustainable production practices
• Committing to diverse hiring practices
• Prioritizing employee wellness

And it’s not just members of Gen Z who are interested in businesses dedicated to social good. 77% of consumers want to purchase from companies with CSR initiatives, meaning that it’s in your business’s best interest to engage in corporate philanthropy and other practices that demonstrate your commitment to improving your community.

CSR is a win-win.

As a small business, the idea of spending time and resources on nonprofits or activities not directly related to your company might be intimidating. However, businesses benefit from the reputation boost of being associated with charitable causes and the possibility of tapping into another organization’s audience.

For example, a massage business might offer to volunteer at a local school’s autumn fair event. In exchange for offering free 10-minute massages to parents, the school might shout the business out on their social media pages and thank them for volunteering their services to make the event memorable. This helps the massage practice gain more customers, as getting a stellar free massage will make it more enticing for parents and families to frequent the business. Plus, community members will see the school’s posts, increasing awareness of the business locally.

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The consumer landscape is ever-changing, reacting to global issues, new marketing trends, and new generations reaching adulthood and gaining funds to spend. Marketing your business to Gen Z is just the first step to flexibly adapting to consumer preferences and securing more revenue. Don’t be afraid to make these changes and even invest in relevant tools that will empower you by making it easier to promote your business to different demographic cohorts!