How comfortable are you in marketing to Gen Z? Is it even on your radar? Gen Z is an incredible generation that is giving and thrives on community. They are also a fully tech generation and love video and social media.

Learn ways you can target and connect with Gen Z to build your donor base with people you can continue to nurture. Marketing to Gen Z looks a little different but is super fun. Let your creativity go!

What you'll learn:

→ who is Gen Z?
→ how to beging to understand Gen Z.
→ ways to use TikTok.
→ video is crucial.
→ values alignment is everything!

Want to skip ahead? Here are key takeaways:

[5:41] Gen Z is 12 – 27 right now. They are the first all digital generation. They don't know a world with out internet or mobile phones.  Email isn't their favorite but instead prefer shorter instant messages. They are super passionate and connecting with them on their values is critically important. Since they are driven by their beliefs they are going to look for jobs and companies that align there.
[11:08] Start with grace and understanding. Yes, they communicate very differently with video and devices. However, they are also grappling with mental health issues at levels that we haven't seen before. They've also had to live through COVID during their youth, which affected their communication styles. They are also the most ethically diverse generation and its something they value.
[14:43] TikTok is a requirement in reaching this generation. It doesn't mean you have to have an account that posts organically on a regular basis. You can just have an ads account and create content that reasonates with them. 
[20:27] Get comfortable with video, and putting your face forward. Have the leader or your organization record a 90 second video every morning. Share something you're excited about and show up consistently. Then turn that video into multiple pieces of content you can share across all channels in multiple ways. It is the fastest path to building trust.
[22:02] Bring it back to experiences. They value experience over things. Figure out ways you can connect with Gen Z and make things memorable. They'll connect better with your organization and also be more likely to share those experiences online with their friends – which builds immediate trust.

Resources

Digital Marketing Therapy Sessions
[book] Authenticity: Marketing to Generation Z (People born between 1997 -2012)

Full Transcript

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I love Gen Z. After all, I have two Gen Z kids. And I have been having a blast talking with organizations about why now is the time to start reaching out to Gen Z. And I know it might seem like they're a little young, but I promise you Gen Z is going to be a beast in the economy and how they're spending and where they're spending their dollars. And now is the time to get in front of them, start building those relationships, and building sustainability in your fundraising over the long run. So I have Emanuel rose, joining me on today's podcast to talk all about strategies when it comes to marketing to Gen Z, and getting in front of them on the social media landscape. Emanuel rose is a recognized expert in lead generation branding, advertising and the day to day operations of a digital agency ready to help you build your business today.

For over 25 years, Emanuel has gone to work each day seeking to pioneer cutting edge lead generation and marketing strategies for the benefit of his clients, and manuals rich and diverse experience evidences the strength of his unique skill set acquired through years of persistent growth, leading a digital agency and serving as a pioneering professional and lead generation and retention. This expertise and understanding is not only central to the success of a manuals career, but his leadership of the digital agency he founded. As the CEO of strategic e marketing, Manuel Emanuel is at the forefront of driving digital solutions with machine learning for lead generation for all of strategic e marketing's clients. In Oregon and beyond. Doing so with an in depth understanding of the opportunities and challenges seen for clients across digital agency landscape and utilizing his enviable expertise in leading generation, to leveraging a leading advantage for all his valued clients, you're gonna get some great marketing strategies, some fun ways to think about Gen Z, and also just why you should even care about this generation in the first place. So I don't want to share too much in this in in trail, I don't want to take away his thunder. But if you are, you know, really excited about adding a marketing strategy for Gen Z, that after this episode, then we need to talk which brings me to what this episode is sponsored by this episode sponsored by our digital marketing therapy sessions, one on one a 30 minute sessions that you can have with me, we can develop a specific marketing strategy for Gen Z, or whatever. Or talk about your messaging and elements that are part of your plan to make sure you're just connecting with people on a personal and human level. Because really, that's what it's all about. So head on over to https://thefirstclick.net/officehours, snag your time and let's get chatting. Let's get into the episode.

[Intro] You're listening to the digital marketing therapy podcast. I'm your host, Sami Bedell-Mulhern. Each month we dive deep into a digital marketing or fundraising strategy that you can implement in your organization. Each week, you'll hear from guest experts, nonprofits, and myself on best practices, tips and resources to help you raise more money online and reach your organizational goals.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Hello, hello, please join me in welcoming my guest today. Emanuel rose Manuel, thank you so much for being here.

[Emanuel Rose] Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to our conversation, Sammy,

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] yeah, we were cracking up because today's Converse conversation is Gen Z. And you know, they're the tech generation. And as soon as we got ready to start recording, my whole computer crashed. So I don't know what that means. But tech issues happen to us all. So I'm excited to kick this off with you. And talk about Gen Z, which is a topic that I love. And I think people aren't talking about enough. So why don't you just kind of kick it off with telling us why Gen Z is a topic that you're passionate about?

[Emanuel Rose] Well, passionate, the biggest reason was because I wanted to understand my nephews, and they were so different from me. And so I started to do some psycho psychographic research to understand those boys, right. And, you know, they're, we're together, we're in a room, they're on their phones, they're, you know, 19 years old, they don't have their driver's license, you know, they're still living with their mom, you know, all this stuff, kind of the jokes of it. And I was like, well, but I love these guys. And I want to understand them. So that was where I got started was was caring about my nephews. And then I found out there 68 million of them and under the biggest buying force in our country right now. And so as a marketer, that got my attention. So that was that's the true story.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, and I think I love that because I do think a lot of times Older generations look at newer generations and just want to complain about them or want to call out some of the things that they just don't understand, as opposed to really dive in and learn about what makes them tick. Because really, in actuality, we are the reason that they are that way, right? The things that we've done, and the way that we either raised them, or the technology that we've helped to build and create is what has made them who they are. So I think that's awesome that you just wanted to, to learn more about them. I think that's fantastic. So why don't you share and kind of let everybody know, if they don't know who exactly Gen Z is? Like? What is Gen Z? What are the characteristics around them? And how old are they now like, what are kind of are the ranges there?

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, so they're somewhere between like 12, and 2627, is the age group right now. And, and they're literally the first generation that is, is digital, first digital, only, they've never known a day without the internet and without mobile phones. And so that orientation has really changed a lot of things about their psychology, their biochemistry, the way they socialize, and the way they see the world. And in terms of everything has to start from digital. They that's how they talk to their friends. That's how they consume news and information. And, and that's how they're marketed to is through primary through digital, right, they don't like email, they want to have instant messaging, they literally have an attention span shorter than a goldfish. Goldfish has a six second attention span, these, these guys have got at least like 2.6 seconds or something. So But the flip side is they're super passionate about the things they believe in. And, and if you can connect with them at that level, then you have a much better chance of introducing them to your products or services.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, I have a My daughter was born in 2008, which I think was the year the first iPad came out. So she's proud of that she's I'm as old as iPad. All times. Well, and I think we've been on this constant evolution, I think with millennials moving into Gen Z, where communication and connection to brand has mattered more and more and more to the point where people will spend more money on a brand that they feel personally connected to, than even a similar brand, because they have no connection. And so would you say like that is just continuing to pull through. And brands really need to connect on a deeper level. It's not just about here's the benefits and features of our product. But it's more, hey, here's how this is going to impact your lifestyle and be a part of who you are not just something that you own or use.

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, I would agree with that, in that, that, you know, you'll get Richard Branson or Kylie Jenner. And and you say, well, here are these people who have super transparent lives. And that in and we know, you know a lot about them and about what they care about. And so we can connect to them emotionally, and then they have products and services that we need. And that makes it much, much more likely to make a sale. And for for Gen Z, it's critical that you have to they've been pitched on the internet, since they can remember right from the very beginning. So they have to have a different differentiator. And the emotional connection is, is is critical as well as you know, they they're looking for they understand how to find good deals. And because they are a little bit younger, they don't have as big of budgets, but they're still hard working people that believe in the value of money. And, and understand value, right? Important utility and worth. And so the more that you can connect the dots and be a real human be connected to things that are important in any environment and social causes, then the more likely you're going to be able to transact successfully with with this cohort.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, and this is a good thing for nonprofits, right? Because Gen Z does correct me if I'm wrong, but Gen Z does favor experiences interaction and community over things like house you mentioned your nephew's don't care to drive a car, I've been having this conversation with a lot of parents, like our kids don't really care to get their license. It's a very bizarre thing to me. Like having a car having a house, like those kinds of things are not as important. It's more about that community connection and experience. And so for nonprofits, if you can connect their their values with what you do and bring them into your organization in a meaningful way, like they could be a powerful subset of, of people coming into your organization.

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, I agree with that. 100% And, and so as a funding source, as As staffing, because they're willing to work. And and, you know, they are driven by money as a group, but they're also going to always, well, I don't want to say always, but mostly they're going to be driven more by their values and their beliefs. So, you know, you've got that opportunity for staffing. And then also for for volunteers. And like you said, the experiences, right, we just didn't used to call going and doing something. Well, now they call it experience. And so the more you can orient your events or opportunities to do to go and participate in doing things, the more attractive it will be for this group. Yeah,

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] yeah. So we're gonna jump into a couple of specific marketing strategies that you love with Gen Z. But is there anything else that we might want to know, or just have in the back of our minds about kind of the psychology behind? Gen Z, and I mean, like, 12 to 27 is a pretty broad age group. And so, you know, kind of how might we want to really just get into the brains of of Gen Z? What, what might we want to think about?

[Emanuel Rose] Well, I think, you know, we do have a mental health crisis, based on on the cell phone addiction and the internet. And so I mean, I think, you know, that's on all seriousness, that that is a real issue. And so there's a certain amount of compassion that we have to have initially, for this group, because we have set up a environmental situation, which is not healthy. That being said, I think I think of it is that their, their lifetime, you know, if you think about the the sequencing of a life and development of a human being, you know, we used to get out of the house at 18, and never looked back at our parents, right, like we had those kinds of developmental patterns, if you're married by 30, you know, those things, these guys are a little bit delayed in, in the way that they're approaching their lifestyle. I think part of it is because they do have it really easy at home. And I think that's our fault, right? Like, we made a little too little too soft, and, and so they have no reason to leave the nest. And so that that has led to some delay from typical progression. So you're kind of slow walking, and you're creating events, and you're accepting the fact that they don't have the social skills that we're all used to in the older generations. Some of that's COVID. Some of that's just the fact they've always just been on the phone. And so that's one of the things I see, right, is that the older, you know, Xers and Boomers are like, you know, they just don't know how to talk. They don't know how to look into you in the eye, you know, whatever. They're griping about, like, Yeah, that's true. And we got to find a way to work around that, you know.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah. And I would, I would challenge people to really think about it in the sense that everything has been like a big a progressive shift, right? Like when the first TV came out, even in black and white, and you have three channels. It was old TVs gonna ruin this Jenner. Like, every time, there's new things, that's what's gonna ruin the generation. And so I love that you're doing all this research, and you're bringing all this to light, because it's like, it's not like things are not going to revert back to face to face conversation. Like, we have to understand that the way that Gen Z is communicating, and the way that millennials are communicating, is shifting right, then Gen. Alpha, who knows what's going to happen with them? Right? It's just going to continue to progress. And so I think, if you're a nonprofit leader, wanting to connect with Gen Z, it's just like in any other audience, meeting them where they are, and finding ways to connect in ways that are authentic to them, even though it might be a little bit more uncomfortable for you like that's how we continue to navigate in marketing and in business. Yeah,

[Emanuel Rose] absolutely. It's gonna be uncomfortable. Oh, yeah. The other part that you just triggered for me is that they're the most ethnically diverse cohort in the United States also, so almost 50% of them are mixed race. And so that's something that you just have to be sensitive to and understand that it's a it's an issue for them. Right. And that's part of the reason why we've seen an outgrowth of so much the social movement,

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] and they will tell you like it is at least my Gen Z kids do. Yeah, you can't say that. You can't do that you need Yeah, anyway, well, let's get into some specific marketing strategies. So if we're thinking about a plan for how we want to reach Gen Z, because they are, you know, very much a social media generation. So how like, what is kind of your first big tip for how we might want to approach Gen Z.

[Emanuel Rose] Right now, tick tock and Tiktok ads are still still the scalpel for Reaching this cohort. So you don't have to have a tick tock you don't have to be a Tiktok influencer. But you do need a tick tock Ads account and and to build that out around events or just around consistent branding or or donation, you know, requests. But that's the the, the simplest one right now.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well and tick tock so I think the other thing too is like a lot of organizations are nervous about getting on Tik Tok. But you can repurpose that content on the other channels for your other audiences, right. And there's a lot of brands that are doing like really cool stuff. It doesn't have to be like goofy dances or stupid jokes and things like that, like you can be very still very authentic to your brand and still be publishing on Tik Tok.

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, absolutely. And, and even if you don't want to publish on Tik Tok, but you just want to run ads that I do that for a lot of the clients also and we just run campaigns and it's very affordable and it's very targetable. So

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] tick tock have any fundraising capabilities native built into the platform like Facebook or YouTube do? Not yet?

[Emanuel Rose] I don't think so. I haven't I haven't seen I haven't heard it. Love to hear about in your comments. If somebody has found a way to do it natively. That'd be awesome.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, I love that. Um, so your feelings on brands being on Snapchat?

[Emanuel Rose] You know, it's a, it's a challenge to be on SNAP, because that's not really how they, how they see it and interact with it, right? It's kind of like me, as an actor, I think of my text messages as my personal space. And when I get attacked by, you know, I get pounded in text message. I'm like, I will not pay a second attention to it because it feels like so invasive. So that that's in my research. That's what I've seen is that snaps kind of, you know, off limits.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Yeah, I would agree with that. Yeah, it I feel like Snapchat is like their group messaging. Like, it's it's more just like you said, it's about just like personal. Yeah, they don't want to be sold to buy a brand and, and Snapchat. I mean, there are some brands that are doing it great. But I don't I think that's few and far between.

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, I agree. It's a tough one to navigate. And it's, it would be like, you know, like the last step and a tertiary approach, right? There's a lot of other much easier things to do before you get to that point for SNAP. Yeah.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] So when we think about tick tock, I think that's like short form, video is key, right? Like, how important is video to Gen Z, compared to like, a static image or like a long form, social media post,

[Emanuel Rose] the that. So the idea, again, I was making light of it and the attention span of the goldfish, but the reality is that we've got a very short time span to get attention. And so video typically is going to garner more attention in a shorter time. And, and so that's the reason to approach approach with more, you know, at least a B testing video versus still and making sure that whatever your, your theory is, is accurate. But you've got to have a video component and, and the images are important, you know, I'm old school all the way back to Claude Hopkins in that in that marketing, where you've got water babies, puppies, right? Yeah. And you gotta you gotta have a emotional hook. And you also need to make sure that anything that you do is is representative of the of the marketplace. So you've got to have cultural representation. That's, that's at least attempting that as well. Right to get attention.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Well, and what does that mean? Like? Could you talk a little bit about like building trust? Because I feel like this generation is also very, I don't want to say cynical, but kind of like they don't really, you have to prove to them that you are who and what you say you are like they don't trust brands, especially nonprofits very easily. So like, do you feel like video helps to build and bridge that trust factor faster than images or just copying words?

[Emanuel Rose] No, absolutely. I I encourage the executive director or the CEO or the manager to do 90 seconds of video every monday morning about projects about major campaigns about the staff for the week or staff for the month and and have that video presence that then can be repurposed in that Gary Vaynerchuk style, right 190 90 seconds of of video can turn into 75 pieces of content, but it provides like you're talking about a very true and authentic view. you into the organization. And that's the only way you get through cynicism is to have that consistent messaging from a real person. And just think Kylie Jenner, right? I mean, how many hundreds and hundreds of hours of TV and YouTube and Tiktok that she have. And that's what what they expect is that they're going to see under the hood of an organization or a business or a person in order to trust that it's the real thing.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] So you touched on two things there. One is visible visibility of people behind the brand, not just the brand and consistency. Right, not just showing up one time, but showing up over and over and over and over again. I love that. And this kind of made me think about kind of the reverse. So if we are Boomer Gen X, hiring people, you mentioned earlier, that company or that, you know, Gen Z wants to work for companies that are engaged in social impact in some way, shape, or form, right. So us as a nonprofit leader, like how could we even like we could even take a look at approaching our sponsors and corporate sponsors in a new way, and that like how can we work with you on an internal campaign so that you can have better retention of your Gen Z employees? Because they see that social impact piece?

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, absolutely. The Connect that the nonprofits can do a better job of helping corporate or small business companies promote the fact that they're supporting them, right. And even to the point where, if you've got donors that don't even have you listed on their website, right, like just that, just a very simple fundamental thing. And then to do some cross blog posting, right, like just those two things would be of a big value for your your corporate sponsors. Absolutely. Yeah.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I love that. Okay, so we talked about tick tock, we've talked about short form video, kind of what other marketing strategies do you have up your sleeve for Gen Z,

[Emanuel Rose] I go back to the events and, and, and experiences that, you know, they don't want to go to a gym, but they'll go to a slacklining day, right? They want they want whatever is new or unusual, they don't want to go camping with their parents, they want to go glamping, right. They don't want to just go to a baseball game where they want to go, you know, throw out the first pitch and then take batting practice or whatever. So we've got to think about it more like, like, they're your nephews or your nieces. And that you want to make it something that is memorable that they want to text their friends about. They want to post on Instagram, and that it's a it's a, it's a full beginning to end that they get picked up in a, you know, in a hearse and driven somewhere. And it's, you know, it's the, it's the haunted house or whatever the event is that there's a whole theme throughout the entire event and they can brag about it through the social channels that they have. So it takes some time to think about how you make how you program it correctly so that it's memorable and speech worthy.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] No, I love this and it makes me think about like, I think I might have talked about this. I don't know if I've talked about this on the podcast or not. But like my kids have these YouTubers that they follow. And a lot of these YouTubers are in their early 20s And they're making multiple millions of dollars, right? Are these influencers on Tik Tok? Right? They're making a ton of money. When you watch the ways that they give back to charity, they're doing it through their channels. So like, I don't know, if you watch the penny challenge with Ryan Trahan. I've been talking about him a lot lately in my circle, because he just did this whole series where he raised $407,000 for water.org by starting with a penny and Paris and having to fly home and like engages in all of these with all these other YouTubers to raise all this money, bring awareness, but it's still him doing something that he does, right? I mean, Mr. Nice to somebody everybody talks about who now has a whole philanthropic arm. So I think there's two points, right, like, how can you create the experiences, but then how can we also work with influencers and they don't have to be the 13 million followers even like local influences in your community, but how can we be creative with them? Because they're more likely to share experiences on social media that are Gen X and Boomer generations?

[Emanuel Rose] For sure. Yeah, no, that's a great point. And yeah, there's there's lots of ways to figure out who your influencers are locally or even to, to go online and do some research and find, you know, some influencer connectors that believe in the things that you believe so it's, it's something that if you're if it's not a big part of your budget yet that you're going to want to start testing and figuring out how to How do you do it to its best advantage for you?

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Could you share maybe a couple like if we wanted to reach out to some folks on social media or start conversations with Gen Z online, since that's where they're living? Like, what's the best kind of approach to start that conversation? Because I guarantee you, they don't want to hear Hey, here, we're at organization x, and we do this cool stuff. Can we chat? Like, they don't want to know about that? So like, how can we kind of start to soft, lay up some of these conversations and build relationships with Gen Z on social?

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, the classic, classic, there's two things, one is the problem problem solution call to action, right? To treat it like a traditional ad. So that's the first thing but again, that it's got to be in the snapshots, quick hitting video. The other way is through the success stories, and through the stories of the people that the organization is supporting, or the or the projects if it's not people, right, so that there's there's an emotional component that that were were drawn in and showing the value. And some of it that it looks like to them, it mirrors their values. So those are the two, if I was only going to do two approaches that those are them.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] But values alignment is critical.

[Emanuel Rose] It really is, like you said, it gets through the cynicism. And you can't just they're not just looking to buy a product, right? That mean, they know how to do that they can go to Amazon and buy a product. So continue to do have, tell the story of what it is that we're accomplishing and how we're doing it, and who the people are the work and organization and who the people are that we're helping with our organization.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Club that. Okay, so if people are listening to this, they're like, Okay, maybe I should be talking to Gen Z. But they're not quite convinced. Could you just kind of before we wrap this up, touch on kind of what the upcoming buying power is of Gen Z? Because I think currently, right millennials and Gen Z make up the largest part of the population. But I think it's what by 2026, Gen Z will just be the largest part of the populations,

[Emanuel Rose] biggest cohort, yeah, they're bigger, bigger than boomers and X combined. And they'll they have some supporting buying decisions on almost a trillion dollars a year. So every every product and service that that we have, they're influencing how it's how it's consumed.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] And I think now is kind of the perfect time, right? Because if you're hitting the 12 to 19 year old part of Gen Z, you're hitting, you're getting them I mean, I get five times a day, my son who's 12 is coming up to me, Mom, I just saw this, what can we get it? Can we get this? You know, so you're influencing not just the kids, but you're influencing the parents who have the dollars. And then you're also hitting the 19 to 27 year olds who have the income and who are building in their buying habits and and the organizations they want to commit to on their own. So it's kind of like a perfect time to really hit them with authentic messaging and kind of create raving fans.

[Emanuel Rose] Not only that, I agree 100% With that, but the rest of us are also getting bombarded with messaging all day long every day. And and so this psycho psychographic approach and authentic approach is the way to cut through a lot of the noise for for the entire marketplace. So the the more that you have these messages go out from for instance, if it's video from the CEO, that's going to attract not just not just disease, but it's going to attract everybody else in the market. So I know that we as marketers, we never want to say, Oh, we're going after the whole market. But it is one universal truth that it's a way through the cynicism that we're all getting the thick skin to the 10,000 messages a day. And and the more that I can see a human interacting with me, more likely I end up to participate.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] I love that you said that because I think it's right. If you're nervous about reaching out to one targeted demographic, to your point, you're not going to alienate anybody else. It's still gotta help foster those other relationships. You just got to show up on Facebook if you want to hit you know.

[Emanuel Rose] Exactly platforms its platform. Yes, exactly.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Not on Facebook. That is no. Okay, any last words of wisdom otherwise, Emanuel, thank you so much for sharing all of these amazing tips. And I would love for you to share how people can connect with you more and learn more about the book that you wrote that talks even more about this topic.

[Emanuel Rose] Yeah, thanks. It's Emanuel rose.com is the is the website where you can track me down and the books that I've written on marketing and also a series of children's books. So get the email and phone number there and love to hear from you.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Awesome. And we'll link all of that up in the show notes at https://thefirstclick.net/216 Emanuel, I appreciate you being here and allowing me to talk about one of my most favorite topics these days. So they're hearing it from someone else, and not just me, which I love. So thank you so much for being here.

[Emanuel Rose] All right. Thank you, Sami. I really enjoyed it.

[Sami Bedell-Mulhern] Okay, so are you convinced? Are you ready to start marketing to Gen Z and building them into your donor funnels? I really hope that you are. And I know that it can be scary to think about other platforms like Tiktok, or getting out there and doing more video creation. But it doesn't have to be complicated. It can just be you and your phone. And like you said, creating a 92nd just quick video that you can repurpose in multiple different places. And hey, while you're at it, get some Gen Z volunteers to help you edit that video and put it out to their own audience who better to help you figure out what's going to connect with Gen Z than Gen Z themselves. So if you loved this episode, make sure you subscribe wherever you're listening to this right now or on YouTube, and head on over to https:/thefirstclick.net/216 for the show notes and additional resources here including the book that Emanuel wrote about Gen Z. Now, thank you so much for listening. I am so glad you're here with us for our month all about social media, and I will see you in the next one.