Ever so often, as a business owner, marketing professional, or salesperson, you are presented with insights that allow you the opportunity to make subtle, yet extremely important pivots that could positively change the trajectory of the bottom line of your business.
Those insights become significantly more valuable when the information obtained pertains to a consumer demographic in which many brands around the world have deemed the most difficult demographic to market their brand’s products or services towards. That demographic is Gen Zers.
If understanding and appealing to Gen Zers is of any importance to your business, the good news is that a recent survey revealed that 80% of the demographic wants your startup to do one simple thing on social media to earn more of their business. The bad news is that only 25% of small businesses are currently doing it.
What they want you to do
A big part of my job as a brand director isn't just understanding what it is that consumers want or what they’re attracted to. It also consists of being cognizant of their thought patterns which influences them to want those things—and ultimately, the cognitive processes that motivates their purchasing decisions.
One of the things that motivates consumers’ purchasing decisions is what’s known in psychology as pattern recognition.
In its simplest form, pattern recognition takes place when information received aligns with information already stored in the brain. What does any of this have to do with what Gen Zers want your startup to do on social media? Great question!
According to two 2023 surveys conducted by GoDaddy, 80% of Gen Zers said that it’s important small businesses have storefronts linked to their social media pages to make their shopping experience easier.
Unfortunately, only a reported 25% of small businesses that sell physical products actually use their social media pages to sell products. While only 19% use it to sell digital products—opting instead to use their social media pages to increase brand awareness.
This means that if your startup’s social media pages aren’t linked to a storefront—a disconnect occurs between what Gen Zers have come to expect from larger businesses—and your startup's presentation. Which in turn, would disturb the pattern recognition that could help influence them to make a purchase from your business.
The simple fix
A simple solution to this issue is that if your startup’s social media pages do not currently have a link to a storefront to purchase your products on them—be sure to add one. As I’m sure you’re very well already aware of, Gen Zers basically live on social media.
Another fact that I’m also sure you’re also well aware of is that Gen Zers have very short attention spans.
So, help both Gen Z consumers as well as your startup’s bottom line by linking a storefront to your social media pages that would allow them to shop for your products without having to take additional steps to do so; which would require more of their attention—an act that would once again, interrupt the normal thought pattern which helps them make the decision to purchase a product.
Which is never a good thing if you care about winning their business.