Ding Dong: The marketing funnel is dead thanks to Gen Z.
Ding dong the marketing funnel is dead. It ceases to exist as we know it, thanks to Gen Z.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm not fussed on the whole generational gap debate, but what I do find interesting is how a new consumer market is literally rewriting the way we consume content, purchase products and exist in a brand's orbit. Working as a designer, in marketing and as a business owner, trends come and go, but a movement this substantial is bound to
ruffle some feathers
put some businesses on shaky ground
change the game for business owners all round
cause a lot of old school marketers to roll over in their grave
Yes, this type of shift is coming from the masses and is more geared towards large corporates, national and global companies with solid followings. It's also looking at influencers. But as a whole, there is merit in understanding how this is going to trickle down into our small business experience.
Here's my take, and how I think we can begin applying different methods and tricks to change up marketing tactics.
Stuffy, boring, same-same marketing efforts are out
This new wave of consumers (Gen Z) expects something different than what was common as little as 5 years ago. They consider inspiration and discovery foundational to their experience, and core to who they are as a person, so there'll be no point in flogging your done-to-death marketing efforts that may have worked for you in the past. They want a frictionless experience when it comes to interacting with brands. What does this look like?
Seamlessly integrated products within lifestyle content
Gone are the days of generic product placement ads
Features and benefits — also out
Overall brand universe experience to speak to them, and them alone
For small businesses:
Don't just preach at your audience the features, benefits, deliverables of your product or offering. Tell them a story. Be genuine. Your audience want to know about how it will fit into their life, their work.
Stop blatantly selling. Yes, you need to have conversion content as part of your marketing efforts, but you need to start thinking about it differently. How can you integrate subtle selling in your content? In your words, language, messaging?
Information and knowledge reigns supreme
The title says it all. New audiences want information — and I'm not just talking about stock standard education content (much to my dismay!) I'm talking about real, unfiltered, insights relevant to yours and their experience. They want to know the ins and outs, the deepest parts of what you have to give and offer.
For small businesses:
Give them the juicy content. If that's what they want, find a way that you're comfortable with to give them that. Because if you don't, someone else will.
Don't be afraid of information overload — do it in small, bite-sized clips. This gets people in quick, hooks their attention and gets them scrolling through content.
Remember, the discovery aspect we spoke about earlier? Keep them coming back for more!
Community and the inherent need to belong to something
This is a big one. We all know that belonging, inclusivity, acceptance and community is big. Not just on a personal level, but on a human being level. It's a core foundation of who we are. Being more connected than ever, has also come at a distancing cost. We, especially younger audiences, are seeking connection and belonging in alternative ways — social media. Being a part of an online community of like-minded people feels good. It makes you feel like you're contributing to something bigger than yourself. It's this inherent need to belong to something that creates the kind of brand loyalty you genuinely cannot buy.
For small businesses:
Start building your community. Community building is as simple as sharing a story that others might resonate with. An email list where you share the intimate and unfiltered life of a business owner behind the scenes (shameless plug of my own newsletter).
A community starts with trust. And trust comes from vulnerability. Share a challenge, a moment in time where you struggled — then share how you overcame it.
It can also go as far as loyalty discounts and incentives. Think of how you can reward your existing community members, to keep them engaged and you top of mind.
Building your brand universe is key to winning loyalty
It's not enough for your logo to be slapped on a few product labels or your website anymore. Your brand needs to be an experience. A universe. Is that hard to do without a massive marketing budget, brand installations or immersions? Yes, absolutely it is. BUT it's this brand universe experience that contributes to brand loyalty. And brand loyalty at the end of the day is the ultimate goal. It means your brand, business, offering is something that your audience needs and resonates with. They are advocates and brand fans and will say your name in a room full of people.
But here's how you can create a brand universe, even as a small business owner...
Your brand needs to be infallible. Across every single touch point. Every single platform. Your website needs to be cohesive with your socials which needs to be cohesive with your newsletter, your products, your Pinterest, your ads. And don't forget about your brand voice, message, language, values. This is all done through brand strategy FYI — you don't need to be able to pull this together on your own.
Avoid DIYing your brand. That's when things can get a little bit curvy. Having a designer work with you allows complete customisation of your brand across all platforms, while being undeniable consistent and high impact.
You might feel like a broken record in your content, but trust me, your audience doesn't think that. Find something to say, and say it in a few different ways. Preach your message, share your opinion, talk about your offerings — people are none the wiser.
While the 'traditional' marketing funnel is dead, this is the time for you to take advantage of changes and new ways of marketing to enhance and promote your brand presence and increase your brand awareness. Eyeballs on content is one thing, but what we all need is conversions. And if you're looking at targeting a younger audience (or even some of those younger millennials if we're sticking with the generation thing), then it's time to adapt and evolve.
Your business will thank you.
Need to step up your efforts? Let’s chat.