4 ways to alienate Gen Z with your content

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up in a fully digitised world. They’ve matured alongside the internet and social media, which has given them a natural digital fluency and a keen awareness of contemporary trends. They’re accustomed to new, exciting, and diverse ways of thinking and presenting ideas. So, if you insist on clinging to outdated methods and closed-mindedness, congratulations! You’ve just become the online equivalent of a retro landline —quaint, but not something they’ll engage with for long.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
- Rita Mae Brown, 1983

Teenage Cancer Trust is a great example of someone who’s getting it right, by embracing short-form video content to reach their audience. If you visit their TikTok channel, it’s full of candid videos that show the reality of what it’s like to live with cancer as a teenager.

Gen Z places a high value on the impact your organisation has on people and the planet. Younger audiences tend to be much less interested in things like awards or rankings, but are more impressed by genuine efforts to give back to the community through sustainability initiatives and by introducing ethical practices. Simply put, if your idea of community involvement is a yearly cheque to a charity, Gen Z will sniff out your insincerity faster than you can say “greenwashing.”

Ben & Jerry’s has made a name for itself in taking a stand on a wide number of issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, refugee rights and climate change. The company has partnered with a wide number of nonprofits over the years, leveraging its international profile to shine a spotlight on these important issues. We love this politically-charged ice cream flavour they launched in 2021 to protect voting rights and encourage young Black voter turnout in the midterm elections…

Gen Z’s digital fluency means that seamless integration with technology and instant access to information should be a given. So if your content doesn’t utilise in-app features like QR codes, Instagram story links, or perhaps TikTok Shop, you risk alienating a significant portion of your audience. And this really does work across all sectors and industries. Just check out how we utilised QR codes in Bradford College’s new Further Education prospectus…

Simplifying the user journey to access important information and removing unnecessary barriers will increase the likelihood of engagement and follow-through. Don't make them feel like they're navigating a labyrinth just to find a contact form—unless of course you're making a "Legend of Zelda" tribute.

Gen Z spans a wide age range, from young teens to young adults (currently between 13 and 26 years old). So assuming this diverse group shares the same interests, qualities, and personalities is a mistake. Creating generic "Gen Z content" can alienate people, so instead dig deeper into your target audience to understand their unique preferences - and tailor your content to suit them. Recognising the differences in maturity and interest within this age group will help you create targeted content that’s much more likely to get engagement. If there’s one thing they DO all have in common it’s that they're really good at finding creative ways to avoid and skip ads…

By embracing new ways of thinking and leveraging technology to your advantage, you can create content that resonates with a diverse generation that’s digitally savvy and socially conscious.

As a creative and strategy agency for not-for-profits, we understand better than anyone that the journey to effective content creation is a nuanced one. So if you’d like any support with creating impactful content that speaks to the hearts and minds of Gen Z, you know where to find us.