Make sure you aim for a content bullseye with Millennials and Gen-Zs

It’s not an accident that a lot of content these days is made for Millennials and Gen Zs; you could even go as far as to say a lot of content has been made for them, by them. These two generations spend more time online — and on their phones — than any other generation. 

And while these two demographics are frequently discussed together as a single group of people, it’s probably unwise to produce content assuming you’ll get an audience from both.

Not one and the same

They definitely have some similarities, as seen in how they get mistaken for being big spenders. But in fact, both generations actually spend less than past generations of people, and the oldest Gen Z members are notably focused on responsible spending. 

However, there is research from multiple sources that differentiates the two generations. Studies from Vice, Insider, and Adobe say that Gen Z aims to spend money pragmatically as compared to other generations. 

Some analysts suggest that certain populations of Gen Z’s saving approach is rooted in budgeting lessons that the generation learned from the 2008 recession. Since they were born in such a financially unstable time, they’ve naturally learnt to save and spend more frugally.

^{Source: How Gen Z Is Confronting Their Financial Fears – RAVE Reviews}

The paragons of social issues

For the longest time, brand neutrality has been the norm when it comes to societal or political issues. While it might have been a smart strategy in the past when it comes to appealing to a broad audience, apathy is not going to cut it with Millennials and Gen Z.

Young consumers are conscientious and expect brands that they support to be purpose-driven. With social movements, such as Black Lives Matter, climate change, and LGBTQ rights being some prominent causes that they are passionate about, both Millennials and Gen Z believe that brands have a responsibility to make the world a better place.

In fact, almost 50% of Millennials prefer to purchase from a brand if their dedicated purchase supports a cause — take US shoe company Toms, which now donates 1/3 of its profits to grassroots efforts.

What kinds of content do millennials and Gen Zs consume? 

Before you decide on the kind of content you want to push to these groups of people, you need to know what they’re currently consuming. 

Millennials

• The top reasons for Millennials logging in is to keep track of news and current affairs and finding funny or entertaining content.
• The leading social networks among Millennials are Facebook and YouTube, with Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter following as favourites.
• 37% of Millennials say they binge-watch content on a daily basis. YouTube is the leading channel for video content consumption, preferred by 35% of Millennials.
• 88% rely on digital news, rather than TV or print news. 
• 37% of Millennials report listening to podcasts at least once each week, while 13% say they listen every day, which is significantly higher than the 5% of consumers 35 and older who listen daily.

Gen-Z

• The social networks with the most monthly Gen Z users are Snapchat (42.0 million), TikTok (37.3 million), and Instagram (33.3 million).
• 75% tend to spend their free time online, primarily texting and chatting. 25% spend more than five hours on their mobile phones every day, and expect frictionless, fast interactions.
• They make heavy use of social networks to create connections, consume multimedia, play games, and share content. Gen Z spends an average of four hours on apps daily (excluding games), and 98% of them own a smartphone.
• With entertainment attracting this younger generation, Gen Z tends to consume a lot of music, online videos and games. They still watch TV and movies, but not as frequently as millennials. They primarily seek out music, humour, memes, gaming, and food/dining content. 60% of Gen Zers say that video games allow them to fantasise about things that are outside their grasp, and the same percentage use a second digital device while watching/streaming shows or movies. 

What does this mean for your content strategy? 

For Millennials: 

As they grow older, Millennials want expertise. Personal touchpoints are key, but business content still must provide real insight and inspiration versus blatant product marketing.

80% or more want content that provides information on a seller’s products from their peers, colleagues and the seller’s customers. They want a curated content experience that addresses their business, industry, or market conditions.

Virtually all (96%) say that video is a key factor in whether they move forward in the decision-making process, and a whopping 80% of Millennials prefer video tutorials for a product or service. A similar 81% prefer video over written formats for troubleshooting. 

For 70%, video is the most helpful content format when creating awareness of business-related problems. So treat millennials as the tech-savvy, connected, people that they are and focus engagement through targeting highly specific niche audiences. And always remember to connect with them on a personalised level.

Examples

Weekend Refresh rides on millennials’ search for content that’s inspiring and yet entertaining, and is an original video series that shows how spaces can be refurbished in the span of 48 hours. Phoebe Hettel, Brand Strategist of Tastemade states that “The goal is to inspire action, and to do so by providing accessible solutions whether it’s through food, travel, or home and design.” 

Through showing the biggest generation of homeowners how to economically – in terms of both time and money – transform a space, it effortlessly achieves everything millennials want in content. 

Of course, you could also have a more unique form of content, like how Ranker – a site producing content for millennials, by millennials – published a  listicle that took millennials down memory lane and showed them how much collecting Pokémon trading cards was NOT a waste of their time; they can now pay off their student loans with their childhood passions if they chose to do so! 

For Gen Zs: 

Gen Zs look for nuance in a world bombarded by bite-sized information. With so many people expressing opinions online and the ever-present threat of cancel culture, Gen Zs usually resort to consulting multiple sources to find out where online publications or platforms are getting their facts. They also search for multiple perspectives in order to form their own opinion and be able to back it up.

Examples

We wrote a blog 2 months ago about the ways in which TikTok is transforming into an educational space, and we think the channels discussing city planning, womens’ safety on public transit  are great examples of the kinds of content Gen Zs like watching. 

The “casually thoughtful” tone of these videos which pack so much into so little time truly demonstrates the kind of content you should make to reach out to them. 

Are Millennials and Gen Zs all across the world the same? 

Would content appeal to a Chinese millennial the same way it does to an American one? Leadership & Organisational Development Consultant Melissa Lamson notes that American Millennials are driven to find meaningful work that expresses their values. Whereas Millennials in China and India are more focused on ambition and professional advancement, thanks to cultural pressures.

As for Gen Zs, the prevalence of social media in their lives makes it likely that it remains the foremost method of reaching these people. There’s a whole article on how Western brands can market themselves to Chinese Gen Zs, and notes that “Western brands should also define loyalty carefully. In China, this means more than just a repeat purchase…it means having an emotional connection and a sense of positivity and dedication to the brand.”

An ever-expanding market

The winds of change are blowing, and it’s a must that brands grow to understand the habits of — and tap into — the growing market of the newer generations, especially if they want to stay relevant.We understand how to create content that appeals to Millennials and Gen Z. Want to start courting them properly today? Reach out to our CEO Simon Kearney at [email protected].

Read more from Click2View:

1. Four Phases of a Content Marketing Funnel You Should Know
2. Level Up Your Video Conferences — Create a Home Studio
3. Memes Are Taking Over The World
4. TikTok: The End of Google’s Reign?

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Click2View is Southeast Asia’s premiere full-service independent B2B content marketing agency servicing clients like Microsoft, Google, Visa, Prudential, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.