Content Director Helena Lang explains how to reach the CEOs, FDs and CIOs of the future with your B2B marketing. 

With their flickering fingers that can do a million things at once on their phones; eternally messaging, checking their social feeds, and simultaneously playing Minecraft (yes, they STILL love it) whilst watching Kylie Jenner TikToks Gen Z are the ultimate digital natives. 

This generation have had technology, particularly the rapid change in how we communicate and interact, as part of their lives from when they were in Pampers.  

When the iPhone launched in 2007 the oldest Gen Zers were turning 10, and no doubt already nagging their parents for one if they hadn’t had a tell-tale Apple box in their Christmas stocking already.  

By the time they were teens using a phone to connect with the internet was the primary way, and this growing up in an ‘always on’ environment has had both positive and negative outcomes which all of us are still debating. What isn’t in doubt is that they are consuming content, sharing it and engaging with it in a different way to the previous generations. 

But despite their tech-savviness not all Gen Zers are working in digital start-ups or the creative industries. As the oldest reach their mid-twenties they are, of course, working in finance, sustainability, business, and technology.  

They are the CEOs, FDs and CIOs of the future and how brands talk to them is as important, as where they talk to them. Here at @7C3 we’ve spent time studying the behavior of Gen Zers – the future movers and shakers of the B2B world – and here is what we have learned: 

1. Convenience is crucial: Social media platforms are easily accessible and integrated into the daily lives of Gen Zers and they don’t want to hop from one platform to another. They increasingly use Instagram, YouTube and TikTok to engage with business information as they are already there connecting with friends, sharing content, shopping, applying for jobs and more. So, whilst LinkedIn is still important, a different type of B2B content will capture their attention where they are most at home. 

2. Activate their Activism: Gen Z is one of the most socially conscious generations in history. They like nothing more than to get engaged in social and political issues and are experts in using technology to organize and amplify their voices, advocating for change and spreading awareness through online platforms. If you have a great story to tell regarding sustainability, the environment, equality, diversity and inclusion then think of ways to engage this audience to endorse your messaging particularly on social platforms. 

3. It’s how they learn: The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the reliance on technology for education, with many Gen Z individuals experiencing remote learning whilst at university. This has increased their comfort with digital learning tools and collaboration platforms – they will respond well to educational content that seeks to explain complicated finance or technology matters. 

4. Community Recommendations: Social media allows Gen Z to seek information and recommendations from their peers – the people they trust the most – and the broader online community. B2P (Business to People) is the type of content they respond to. Use thought leaders within your business, staff members at all levels and community members who have benefitted from your products and brand. This kind of advocacy is what Gen Z are looking for, in fact Ogilvy named ‘employee advocacy’ as one of it’s 2024 influencer trends. For exceptional strong organic B2B presence on TikTok take a look at Adobe, Grammarly and Monday.com. 

5. They are watching you: Gen Z prefer visual content, and of course social media platforms are visually rich environments. Video content can be high-gloss or lo-fi for different platforms, different messaging, and different outcomes. Short (between 3-60 seconds) is the trend, and don’t be afraid to use humour and emotion. 

6. News they can use: Social media provides the Gen Z audience with real-time updates and are the ideal platforms for announcements, recruitments, stats and data. Gen Z follow accounts, hashtags and trends to stay informed about what’s happening now, trends, and their own B2B topics of interest. 

7. Search success: Nearly 10% of Gen Z users now prefer TikTok over traditional search engines to find information – they aren’t going to Google first. Knowing this Google are now ranking TikTok and Instagram high up in SERPs, often pushing out or replacing YouTube videos – we expect to see YouTube continue to fight back in 2024 with YouTubeShorts. To increase your chances of your B2B content being ranked make sure you use relevant keywords in your TikTok and Instagram captions – though no keyword stuffing!