26 Nov
Millennials are defined as individuals who were born somewhere between the early 1980’s to mid-1990’s. Members of Gen Z, sometimes referred to as zoomers, were born in the late 1990s into the early 2010’s. In other words, we’re talking about two of the youngest consumer generations that are increasingly shaping the future of shopping.
Retail businesses are coming up on some big buying weeks ever since brands and society embraced Black Friday as the beginning of the holiday shopping season back in the mid-2000s. When it comes to planning for consumer demand, it will be integral for businesses to understand and market towards members of these younger generations. So, what can businesses do to reach both millennials and members of Gen Z this holiday season?
Develop a mobile-friendly website.
Where do millennials and Gen Z’s do the majority of their shopping? On their mobile devices. If an online shop isn’t mobile-friendly, members of these younger generations are likely ignoring the brand. It’s important to emphasize eye-catching content, such as videos, stylized visual content, creative filters – anything that draws their attention and gets them browsing for more.
67% of all e-commerce sales this year will come from mobile. Without a well-baked mobile strategy, businesses will have difficulty effectively breaking through this holiday season, reveals Snapchat.com.
Respond to all customer reviews.
As a society, we are social creatures, and part of our decision-making journeys involve hearing what others have to say about a product or service before making a buying decision. Young consumers are many things – tech savvy, financially aware, unconventional. In today’s digital world, these younger generations spending habits are greatly influenced by taking to the internet to view websites and social media accounts to read customer reviews. As a business, taking the time to encourage customers to leave a review is a great way to get feedback and expand a brand’s reach. It is also vital to answer and engage with customer reviews. Each response represents a publicly-accessible display of a business’s penchant for providing excellent customer service.
Arguably, there is no better way to showcase a brand’s customer-friendly approach than by responding to positive and negative customer reviews. When a brand takes the time to engage with their customers, trust is built. Allowing consumers to feel heard can connect brands to their customers in a more meaningful way and is an excellent way to gain new fans that can turn into buyers.
“An Accenture report revealed that 40 percent of Gen Zers leave feedback on products,” reveals Interactone.com, “Therefore, having an open line of communication on every outlet possible…is vital to keeping Gen Z engaged. In addition, it is just as important to make sure you are responding to their reviews – especially if they are negative – it gives you the option to make things right and turn their opinions around.”
Advertise on social media.
Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook are essential platforms to include in a business’s marketing strategy these days. Millennials and zoomers are using social media each and every day to communicate with each other. As Snapchat points out, social media has become a major part of every stage of the shopping journey – from finding new brands and products to building wish lists, sharing gift ideas and making purchases.
“After a year like 2020, Gen Zs’ pent-up demand and ‘treat yourself’ mentality will be influential in their spending power this year. 63% of Gen Z’s get ideas for things to buy on social media while 58% get ideas by visiting a brand’s website. It could be worth creating a gifting section via social media, your website, app, or in your physical store to help navigate new customers around your offering”, explains StudentBeans.
As brands continue to engage with shoppers, it will be important to follow key trends and meet consumers where they are most – online. Here at Taliup Express, our team works hard to provide businesses of all sizes with easy-to-use tools and technology that can help them take advantage of e-commerce sales. If you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!
