Marketing to Generation Z

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I was born in the year 1995, which (depending on which study you read) places me in Generation Z. In the year I was born, the words fashionista, bridezilla, and blog were coined, which is only fitting given that I blog for my job. You probably don’t see a lot of content penned by Generation Z in your newsfeeds, so let me introduce the newest generation. Greetings from Generation Z! My name is Elizabeth, and I am a Digital Strategy Consultant at Laura Mitchell Consulting.

I have to say that I’ve felt a bit neglected by the “generations at work” gurus hired by large corporations. They analyzed the working habits and values of those currently employed, and put all their focus on the Silent, Boomer, X, and millennial generations. Why are companies treating millennials as though they are brand new? Why aren’t they ready for us?

When I arrived for my first day at my first “big girl” job out of college, I was honestly horrified. At orientation, I was handed a large packet of paper and seated in a conference room in front of an archaic (five-year-old) PowerPoint slide deck. Then I was escorted through rows and rows of grey cubicles right to my equally grey cubicle. At this cubicle, I was greeted by the sight of a battered, five-year-old Dell brick that would make my life miserable for the next six months.

Serving as borderline IT support for my entire floor for the remainder of my time at this corporation, I came to an astonishing realization: these people have no idea what to do with me. Like the Gen Z stereotype says, I have a better understanding of most things related to computers than most of the management team, and my supervisor asked me to help her figure things out. Yet, because I was young, I was treated like an intern. In fact, I kept a running tally of how many times I was asked when my internship ended. (It was four times, if you were wondering.)

That’s why I decided to seek employment at a more progressive, creative, forward-thinking company. I even turned down job offers at significantly higher salaries for the opportunity.  I’m Generation Z. I’m a digital native. When you hire me to do social media for your business, you’re hiring a native digitized speaker.

So, who is Generation Z?

We’re people who grew up in the wake of 9/11 and came of age during the 2008 economic crisis. We avoid advertising like the plague, but we’re experts on personal branding. We have no interest in playing by your rules, because we’re too busy writing our own rules. We are realistic, future-fearing, financially responsible, privacy protecting, technically savvy versions of our millennial older siblings and parents. We demand more from our schools, employers, and businesses than the generation that came before us. We question the status-quo, and are reluctant to settle for anything less than what fulfills us. Social media is our stomping ground, but even there we find our own platforms that were designed for and many times by us.

It’s difficult to market to a group of people who seem to be hiding in the shadows, with traits and cultural values that, in some ways, have yet to be determined.

So, how do I market to Generation Z?

  • Use platforms in a way that isn’t foreign to your target market

Use social media platforms in a way that makes sense to the market that you’re trying to reach. Get a guide who can tell you what is cool these days. Is it Snapchat? Is it Twitter? Instagram?   Make sure you stay current, because it’s a rapidly moving target and varies greatly depending on the generation that you wish to attract.

  • Humanize your marketing strategy

We’re people, not Nielsen statistics! We grew up with mute buttons and fast forward. We see advertising as annoying and pervasive, we’re resistant to most traditional marketing tactics. Treat us like human beings and you will see a very positive engagement from our generation.

  • Market to our niche lifestyle choices, not our demographics

Yes we are young, but we care about a lot of the same things that you do. The presence of connected technologies in our lives means that we’re less likely to conform to mainstream expectations, but we want to feel known. For every interest, belief, and hobby that we have, no matter how bizarre, we have a supportive community of peers who believe, discuss, and do the same things that we do. If you want to gain our attention, you must market to our lifestyles.

For more information on marketing to Generation Z, contact me at Laura Mitchell Consulting,  elizabeth@lmcllc.us or (888) 767-9493 x701.

3 Myths About Making a Good Marketing Video

If pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are worth one hundred thousand. But making a good marketing video can be hard. After the cost, time, and energy required to shoot and edit the video footage, the messaging may have been diluted. How can businesses create fun, engaging content without becoming bogged down in the details? Laura Mitchell Consulting dispels three myths about creating great marketing videos.

Myth 1: Good marketing videos are expensive.

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Anyone with a laptop and an iPhone can create a marketing video. Free sites like moov.ly are available to make creating and editing fantastic, animated videos incredibly easy.

 

Myth 2: Good marketing videos must be professionally made.

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Again, why hire a videographer or production company to make something that you could make yourself? Even an intern could create an excellent video for your website. Sometimes, honest and organic content is more interesting than something that seems staged.

 

Myth 3: Good marketing videos must be meticulously staged and planned.

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Curating genuine, raw content is a desirable strategy. You may capture something unexpected, which is good! After all, your web presence serves to humanize your business. Your customers are hungry for personality, so it’s important to have a personality.

Not interested in creating your own marketing video? Let Laura Mitchell Consulting help!

6 Tips for Getting Your Press Releases Noticed!

WritingIf you write it, they will come. Or wait, they probably won’t, unless you’ve devised a compelling scheme to MAKE them notice. So, how do you get attention in today’s media-saturated and ADD digital world? Use these 6 tips to generate more buzz around your company press releases:

  • Have a point.
    Really. It makes it so much more interesting for the reader. A press release should be announcing something that is relevant, interesting, and meaningful to the reader. If you can’t answer the “why would anyone care?” question, save it for the blog and skip the press release.
  • Get to the point.
    Once you’ve determined that you do have a point, say it and say it quickly. There’s no need to say things multiple times in a press release, and there’s even less room for fluff. Mimic the accessory rule (taking off one accessory before leaving the house) and see if there are extra unnecessary ‘accessories’ in your release. If you find yourself repeating or trying to add filler materials, double check to see whether or not you really have a message to share. If not, wait to get more details until releasing. Serious and positive attention is hard to come by and harder to regain.
  • Make it relevant today.
    How does your statement relate to the current state of the industry, the impact of the future, or to a specific population of people? Why should anyone care? Who are the people that care? What motivates them to care? If you are going to discuss a new product or feature, discuss the impact it makes (e.g. an underserved need, cost-savings, increased quality of life, etc.). Don’t stop constantly answering the “WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL” question throughout your release.
  • Get personal.
    Don’t write a stuffy, cold and impersonal release. Throw away the pedantic, brochure-worthy jargon. If your release sounds like Watson wrote it, people will not take notice. Create a story that is fun to read by decorating with thought-provoking quotes from relevant sources, which will make it accessible. Think of your quotes as your press release emoticons!
  • Keep it simple.
    Keep the release readable and simple. Your release should not require additional research to understand exactly what your company does and what the release is about. Include a brief product and company description and the announcement within your first sentence.
  • Grab attention, avoid clickbait.
    Ensure your release title is interesting, yet believable. How many boring or misleading press releases do you encounter each day? Invite the reader to seek more information while remaining truthful to the content of the article.

Laura Mitchell, founder of Laura Mitchell Consulting, is an expert in the digital health technology space. Follow her at @laurahmitchell or like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest news.

Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla Marketing: innovative, unconventional, and low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining maximum exposure for a product.

Recently, Laura Mitchell Consulting implemented guerrilla marketing at the 2016 Digital Health Summit at CES. We created an inexpensive aftermovie to showcase some show highlights, and we can make a splash for your business too.

In other words, get noticed. Fast. Laura Mitchell Consulting provides world-class expertise in guerrilla marketing, social media, and more. Are you a business in need of some advice? Let us help you Internet better! Contact us at info@lmcllc.us or through our website.

Imagine that your website is a grocery store…

Imagine for a moment that your website is a grocery store.  All of your aisles must be clearly marked, customers should know exactly where and how to find items. It should always be neatly labeled, tidy (no grammar errors), professional, accessible and modern.  Now, envision that same grocery store has some impulse discounted items at the checkout and in front of the store. Think of the mismatched bins of items out in front of the store, perhaps some gardening equipment and other household items.  These discounted items out front, this colorful, messy and eye-catching display of materials is your social media. It appeals to our impulsive, human-side.

Serving to establish your business as a legitimate operation, a website provides a base-level overview of your team, services, mission, and other pertinent information. A website should always be neat and tidy like a store. The aisles should be clearly marked and everyone should have a good understanding of who you are, what you do, and where to go. In 2016, there is no valid excuse for not having a website. Whether you sell artisan soaps, clothing, or consulting services, companies like WordPress or SquareSpace provide out-of-the-box solutions at a low cost. Websites, like resumes, should contain concise sentences with no punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors.

If a website legitimizes a business, social media establishes your human side, your brand personality. Wild, crazy, a little chaotic, and fun, social media is your discount rack. Not restricted by the rules of traditional marketing, social media serves to showcase a unique brand voice and allows a business to establish one-on-one connections with customers.

Now get back to business, there’s a blue light special, aisle 9.

Want to know more about crafting an effective online presence? Need help figuring out a digital strategy? Let us help! Contact Laura Mitchell Consulting today.

Why Growth Hacking Scares Your Boss

Growth Hacking is the art of using social media and other low-cost methods to get your brand recognized. Coined by technology startups, it is typically interpreted  as a “spray and pray” approach to marketing.  But this is not true.

 
Earlier this year Laura Mitchell spoke to a group of talented Product Management and Design students at General Assembly in Chicago. She expected this to be a receptive audience, as her invitation was the result of a student vote.  But if she thought these entrepreneurial students would shy away from challenging the marketing strategies she proposed, she was glad to be wrong. As she spoke, she found herself having to clarify the importance of growth hacking in addition to traditional marketing. No, it’s not as simple as throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks. No, it’s not that we have no plan and just do “whatever”. Yes, it takes a whole lot of thought, planning and creativity to be effective at “growth hacking,” and at Laura Mitchell Consulting, we argue that it takes even more strategy and effort than many traditional marketing efforts.

Laura asked the class what they thought the biggest barriers for growth hackers were.  Here are a few of their candid and insightful replies:

“Everyone else?”
“The fact that nobody thinks you have a plan?”
“Anyone who doesn’t like change?”
“Bosses that don’t understand it?”

Those are pretty accurate, but sometimes there is even more pushback and resistance from marketing experts themselves. That might seem counterintuitive, but actually it makes sense if you think about it. Growth hacking goes against many traditional marketing rules, such as the time-honored “control the message.”  Social media has permanently changed that rule and some might argue it’s been changed for the better.  So how do we convince folks that growth hacking is actually a carefully planned and calculated endeavor? A colleague of mine compared it to agile software development. If you’re not familiar with it, agile software development involves adaptive planning, continuous improvement, as well as rapid and flexible response to change through short iteration cycles. Briefly: evaluate frequently, change as needed.

We think he’s onto something.  This kind of software development does resemble the new “growth hacking” type of marketing. That doesn’t mean that tried and true marketing principles no longer apply, it means trying several methods at once, pivoting quickly when things don’t work, and utilizing a combination of various mediums/methods (e.g. social media, commenting on relevant news articles, blogging, writing press releases, contacting publications, etc.).  

All of this is done simultaneously and on a faster schedule so that your brand will receive greater recognition and appear larger and more successful. This is the way that startup technology companies get noticed and seem more credible. After all, it’s often hard to get funding without sales, and equally hard to get sales without funding. It’s not unusual that cash-strapped entrepreneurs see growth hacking and agile marketing as their only viable way forward.cropped-LMC-SQ-for-favicon.png

At the end of the discussion, everyone was excited and inspired. Growth hacking isn’t your typical textbook marketing. Realizing this is very liberating.  Also of importance, growth hacking can be the personification of your brand. It’s your personality, the human side of your company.

Perhaps one of the best questions we heard was, “So, this is only for small companies, right?”

The simple answer is that it’s easiest for small companies. But if a bigger company can embrace change, accept quick pivots and allow creative and exploratory marketing, it will find itself leaps and bounds ahead of where it otherwise might be.  Laura Mitchell Consulting helps all sized organizations to create a customized and targeted social media strategy focusing on innovation, relevance and audience demands.

There can be a voice of the brand that is taught to an entire social media team. There can be a central message that all posts are tied to, and often it’s fun to theme campaigns around an assortment of central messages. Creating an entire team that can brainstorm wonderful ideas and set to work on multiple, intertwining social campaigns is even better.

Growth hacking is a magical mixture of innovative, fast-paced marketing that keeps brand messaging apparent, loud, and consistent.

Laura Mitchell is a strategic growth hacking executive for Laura Mitchell Consulting. She excels in agile marketing, creative growth strategies, social media, and awareness campaigns. She has a decade of experience as a technology entrepreneur in the digital health and aging industry.

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