Youth Marketing: How to Advertise Your School to Gen Zs

- 3 min read -

how to advertise to generation z

Generation Z is turning the advertising world upside down. As the first generation of digital natives, their media consumption habits differ a great deal from their predecessors. As we see how they follow the buyer’s journey through different steps of the marketing funnel (see below), we see that the way to effectively advertise to Gen Z has a decidedly mobile and social flavour.

advertising to gen z: awareness

In grabbing Gen Zs attention, your educational institution must know where their prospective student audience is spending their time.

“…29 percent of Gen Z-ers deem Facebook outdated and “uncool”…, [and] prefer platforms that allow for more visual creativity. More than 56 percent regularly use messaging applications such as Snapchat.” – Adweek

When you realize so much of Gen Z's time is spent on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, your best shot to make them aware of your school is to post content on these media platforms.

Another characteristic of their media consumption is that they use mobile devices far more than older groups. It will be necessary to make the Awareness materials as eye-catching and shareable as possible to make an initial impact.

“Companies need to prioritize mobile within a customer's digital experience if they are going to connect with a younger demographic. There is a direct correlation between mobile experience and customer perception of a brand. Put mobile first.” - Brett Farmiloe, Markitors Website Development

advertising to gen z: engagement

When Generation Z reaches the Engagement level of the marketing funnel, they’ll be researching your school for more information. For many Gen Z-ers, micro-influencers are a trusted source of information. Typically, these influencers are found through social networks, where prospective students spend much of their days.

As far as getting word out about your educational institution, current students and recent graduates are ideal, authentic personalities whose expertise has the credibility and approachability Gen Z craves.

By posting ads that allow prospective students to connect with these alumni, you’ll give them easy access to these personalities and their first-hand knowledge. Your audience will feel they’re learning not just about your school, but what the day-to-day experience will be like.

Their closeness in age adds even more to that approachability – much more than if prospective students connected with students five years past graduation. With these types of engaging ads, Generation Z will access information through casual conversation rather than cold transactions of information.

advertising to gen z: conversion

Once students have acquired enough information, they’re ready to make a decision. Maybe they’ll sign up for a tour, maybe they’ll even commit to a school application. But to nudge these students over to your school, your advertising must keep up its personalized quality and make it clear: your post-secondary school is the one for them.

With the help of programmatic advertising, you’ll be able to cater to your audiences’ specific interests. You could know what ads a prospective student has seen, what career paths they’re interested in, where they live in the country, and more. This type of customized content facilitates a deeper connection, appealing to a student’s desire for authentic, personal connections and lays the groundwork for a lasting connection between the student and the school.

Now that you’ve seen the basic steps of how to advertise to Generation Z, contact Glacier to take action! Start attracting students to your school today.

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