This article discusses the often called unreachable generation, Gen Z. As a startup, you might have asked yourself how you can best approach this target group. In this article, we will explain to you how you can reach them and why they are a good fit with your sustainable business!

A little recap, who is Gen Z 

You have probably read about it before, who is Gen Z? Here is a short recap. Gen Z was born between 1995 and 2010, they are called digital natives. This generation grew up in a time when mobile phones and the internet were a given. They are cautious, meaning that they can also be distrustful of large corporations. This makes them harder to reach. On a positive note, this generation feels responsible for solving climate change. This makes them a very interesting target audience for your sustainable startup. 

Why you should target generation Z

Gen Z is an eager generation, they are purposeful. Apart from the fact that Gen Z is the future, they also want to solve climate change. They want to make a difference and do better than the generations before them. This makes Gen Z the perfect target group for sustainable start-ups. If they believe in your story, they will commit to your brand. They are by nature interested in sustainable start-ups and would like to make use of their products or services. 

How to reach them

They are known for being hard to reach. This is because they have seen a lot of things and have learned to spot the difference between advertising and a sincere message. They immediately see through standard marketing statements; a brand must be sincere and tell the truth. It is essential to be transparent about what you do and what impact you have. Tell your story, motivation, and why your product or service is beneficial to them and the world. In addition, Gen Z is not using traditional media channels like radio and TV. This can actually be compared to the innovators and early adopters of sustainable startups (read more about the adoption curve from Rogers here) who can only be found and reached online.  

Tips

  1. Make sure your communication is short and your message is clear. This target audience gets a lot of stimulants and therefore quickly loses their concentration. 
  2. Make use of influencers; the right influencers have a great effect on Gen Z. It is important to use an influencer who is close to your brand, this ensures that it is sincere and that is what works.
  3. Don’t be afraid to use new channels, last year Tiktok grew enormously and is an ideal place to reach Gen Z. Channels as Spotify can also work well, think of being a sponsor of a podcast that fits well with your sustainable startup. 

It is always helpful to adapt your content marketing to this generation, especially for sustainable startups. Want to know more about how to use content marketing successfully? 

Read more in  the following blogs: