Gen Z not only spends more time online than any other generation, but it also has a large and growing spending power. For businesses selling online, harnessing the power of this group can lead to a serious increase in sales. But how do you reach them?
Cracking Gen Z can feel like a mystery, especially if you’re not up to date on social media trends. Below, I’ll show you how to attract Gen Z to your online store with three strategies.
Let’s get started.
Gen Z is the generation of people who were born between 1997 and 2012, meaning they’re currently between the ages of 13 and 28. It’s important to know which generational group your target audience fits into so you can tailor your brand and marketing strategy to attract them. The groups relevant to ecommerce businesses are:
- Gen X: 1965 – 1980 (45 – 60 years old)
- Millennials: 1981 – 1996 (29 – 44 years old)
- Gen Z: 1997 – 2012 (13 – 28 years old)
- Gen Alpha: 2013 – 2024 (one – 15 years old)
Meet Them on Social Media
Gen Z is the tech savvy generation, so one of the best ways to attract them to your store is to meet them where they already are: social media.
Sharing regular content from your business on social media will not only increase the reach and awareness of your brand, but it’ll show transparency, honesty, and authenticity – factors that Gen Z value highly when making a purchase decision. If you want to supercharge your efforts, you also have the option to run social media ads targeting the Gen Z age group.
Not sure which platforms to post on? A recent study showed that the social media platforms most popular with Gen Z in the US are:
- Instagram (65%)
- YouTube (63%)
- TikTok (58%)
- Facebook (56%)
- Snapchat (47%)
Gen Z covers a wide range of ages, so research the platforms that are most popular among your target audience’s age range for greater accuracy. For instance, Facebook and YouTube are more popular with older Gen Z users, whereas Snapchat and TikTok skew younger.
Top Tip 💡The days and times you post on social media will have a big impact on the reach of your posts.
Create Short and Engaging Content
Gen Z spend more time online than any other generation, meaning they can be pretty desensitized to brand marketing. To stick in their minds and retain their interest, you need to create engaging, memorable, and high-quality content.
Producing scroll-stopping content isn’t as difficult as you might think. Key methods that work well are:
- Interactive content, such as polls, quizzes, Q&As, and live streams
- Short-form videos that share key points instantly
- Experiential marketing strategies, such as such as selling on Roblox
➡️ Learn more about reaching your target audience on social media here.
Work With Influencers
It’s worth considering influencer marketing if you’re trying to target a younger audience – 2025 research shows that 41% of Gen Z consumers will make a direct purchase from an influencer’s promo code or link share.
Although influencers are paid for promotions, their strong online communities mean that their endorsement is often much more impactful than promotions that come directly from brands.
When choosing influencers to work with, you should prioritize their relevance to your brand and the quality of their content over their follower count. Not only do smaller accounts charge lower influencer rates, but they tend to be much more trusted by Gen Z thanks to their authentic and relatable content.
Summary
Gen Z are bombarded with ads and branded content on the daily, meaning they have high standards for the products they purchase. To attract them to your ecommerce store, you should meet them on social media, and focus on relatability and authenticity rather than overly promotional advertisements. Finally, ensure your content is attention-grabbing from the offset, and you’ll be in the best position to achieve Gen Z sales.
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