Want to take your floral business to a whole new level? Start putting some attention on marketing to Generation Z. Yes, they’re young, but they have massive buying power, which will only increase.

Gen Z is progressive, more racially and ethnically diverse than other generations, and on track to be the most highly educated generation. They are also the first generation to be “digital natives,” so they do most everything online.

Understanding what your Gen Z audience wants is vital if you plan to reach them with your marketing. Here are 10 tips to help you do just that:

 Videos, videos, videos!

When it comes to communication, Gen Z is all about videos: 81% say Instagram and YouTube are their preferred social networks. Plus, reports have shown that 65% of Gen Zers use Instagram daily, and 62% use YouTube daily. That’s why it’s vital to incorporate video as a significant part of your social media marketing.

• Create bite-sized content and post it on your Instagram stories.
• Get in on the TikTok craze with short-form videos that use music, visual effects, and overlays.
• Find ways to be creative and “un-boring” on your videos—you only have a few seconds to grab their attention!

2. Interactive content

Younger customers want to interact with their content, so it’s essential to give them something to click, tap, or swipe on when they see your posts. Interactive content is also a great way to encourage customers to make purchasing decisions.

• Create polls on your Instagram stories so that users can get involved.
• Design a “what’s your floral style?” quiz, then post it on your website and link it to your social media feeds.
• Ask questions on your social media pages, and host live Q&As.

3. Time-sensitive posts

FOMO (fear of missing out) is a big deal to this digital generation, so tap into that with posts that will only stay up for a short time. Instagram is an excellent tool for this, as their stories have a built-in time limit.

• Post 24-hour flash sales on your Instagram Stories.
• Provide weekly floral care tips on your stories.
• Create an Instagram Drop to create a buzz for an offering.

4. Tag everything!

Tagging, whether it’s by using hashtags or tagging people, is a vital tool for social media marketing to Gen Z. Asking followers to tag themselves in your posts or use hashtags isn’t just a good idea; it’s expected.

• Encourage customers to share user-generated content with your branded hashtag.
• Enable tagging on your posts so customers can tag themselves when they’re in your store or showing off your floral arrangement.
• Ask customers to tag their friends and family when they tag themselves on your social feeds.

5. Be human and have some fun

Gen Z wants to support brands they see as “fun” and “cool.” If your brand image tends to be light and fun, this is a great way to promote yourself on social media. The importance here is to be authentic.

• Do more live videos, even if they seem awkward for you at first. Customers will respond to the authenticity.
• Have fun with your posts, but don’t force it. If your brand isn’t particularly humorous, followers will know that you’re faking it.
• If you’re going to use memes on your posts, make sure they’re current, or you’ll seem out-of-touch.

6. Respond fast

Responsive customer service is a great way to build brand loyalty with Gen Z customers. Research from Sprout Social showed that 41% of Gen Z consumers would choose a brand that delivers timely, responsive customer service.

• Follow up with every comment, review, or concern as rapidly as possible.
• Use chatbots on your social media feeds to instantly answer the most common customer questions.
• Sign up for a social listening service to make sure you’re monitoring mentions of your brand, competitors, product, and more.

7. Show that you care

One of the most defining characteristics of Gen Z consumers is their desire to align with brands that express their beliefs and values and that serve the needs of their communities and society. These days, showing what you stand for as a business is becoming the norm.

• Don’t be afraid to take a stand on your social media feeds. Decide what you want to say and say it.
• Only post your stances on social issues if you have them. This is not something you can fake. Be authentic no matter what.
• When posting about social issues, make sure you do so in a respectful way. Positivity can go a lot farther than antagonism with your viewers.

8. Ask for feedback and reviews

Reviews are always crucial for any business, and Gen Z consumers are far more likely to purchase from a brand after reading reviews from others. But again, these reviews need to be authentic and not “forced.”

• Ask for testimonials from happy customers and share them on your social feeds.
• Create an email that automatically goes out after every purchase and make it easy for customers to type in their review and send it back.
• Respond to every review—good or bad—promptly and effectively.

9. Create a social commerce strategy

Per Sprout Social, 78% of Gen Z consumers have increased their social media usage in the past year alone. That’s why a social media commerce strategy is vital if you’re tapping into this market.

• Prepare a social media marketing calendar and create your posts a month in advance. This will save time and effort in the long run.
• Automate your social media postings to make your marketing as smooth and easy as possible.
• Get in on the livestream shopping trend by doing weekly live videos showing your latest products and enabling customers to order them on the spot.

10. Let them know you understand them

Gen Z shoppers want businesses to demonstrate that they clearly understand customers’ wants and needs. Consistent, caring, honest communication is vital.

• Let customers know their voices are being heard by posting answers to their most common questions on your social media pages.
• Use social listening tools to discover the hottest trends with GenZ consumers, then create content that speaks to those trends.
• Release a new product or service based on customer feedback and announce it broadly.

Marketing to Gen Z doesn’t need to be complicated. Use these tips as part of your social media marketing strategy, and you’ll see your sales soar!