Most of us remember when our phones became smart. We remember the birth of Facebook and the death of dial up. Imagine having all of this technology already at your fingertips from childhood. That is how Generation Z knows the world and it has shaped their buying habits, the way they engage on social media, and their travel needs.
In a recent blog, we mentioned Generation Z and discussed how they will be a focus for marketers in 2018. We promised we would cover this intriguing demographic in more depth, so today, we will walk through how hotels can draw Generation Z through social media efforts.
What is Generation Z?
Anyone born roughly between 1995 and 2010 is considered to be a part of Generation Z. The oldest age in that demographic is about twenty-three, meaning they are now of purchasing age and are making travel decisions. They make up 26% of the US population and contribute around $44 billion to our economy. They also come in second to Millennials for traveling the most.
It is clear that Generation Z is much different than the audience we are used to targeting. That being said, how should we be targeting them? To answer that, we must first take a look at their habits and what they want.
They Want It, And They Want It Now
An important attribute of Generation Z is that they are used to receiving information almost instantaneously, and anything they wish to buy or research is only a click away. Ads saturate the digital space, and Facebook especially is loaded with everything you never knew you needed. This world is not new to this generation as they have never known anything different.
With all of this quick access to anything they want, they have an even smaller attention span than the Millennial generation, 8 seconds versus 12 seconds to be exact. That makes reaching Generation Z a bit more tricky. Powerful imagery, short copy, and clear calls-to-action become even more important when targeting them.
