Who is Generation Z?
The term “Generation Z” refers to the group of people born between 1995 and 2012. They’re currently between the ages of five and 19, and they’re already at a college campus near you.
We recently took a look at five things international college recruiters should know about Gen Z, including what they’re interested in studying, how they’re studying, their degree goals, they’re concerns about higher ed, and how they prefer to communicate. While understanding all these aspects is important, the value of deploying the right communication strategies cannot be overstated.
How Generation Z Communicates
Perhaps one word rises about the din when it comes to reaching this generation. Instant. As the first generation of digital natives, they’re not only used to the availability of information, but also to the immediacy of information.
18-year-old college student Hannah Payne put it best in telling the New York Times, “I can simultaneously create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all from the user-friendly interface of my iPhone….Generation Z takes in information instantaneously, and loses interest just as fast.”
According to branding agency managing partner Dan Schawbel, communication with GenZ needs to be concise and visual. “We tell our advertising partners that if they don’t communicate in five words and a big picture, they will not reach this generation.”
If you think they sound a lot like Millennials, you’re right -- to a degree. Explains digital product and UX design agency Ideas in Digital, “One of the most striking differences between the two generations would have to be their choice and method of communication. Gen Z communicates with images and they multitask across multiple screens as opposed to Millennials preferring to communicate on two screens and via text. Gen Z’s attention spans are getting shorter as well, explaining their preference for video and images rather than text. They are the ultimate consumers of snack media. They communicate in bite sizes. Punchy headlines or razor sharp text resonate much better than lengthy chunks of words or long-winded passages.”
But while multiple channels are important, one communication mode rises above the rest: texting over talking. In a LivePerson survey investigating the “digital lives of Millennials and Gen Z,” nearly 75 percent of respondents told researchers that they’re rather text than talk on the phone. Concludes LivePerson global head of communications and research Rurik Bradbury of the findings, “What we see in the research data is the phone truly becoming an extension of the self, and the platforms and apps within it -- digital life -- occupying more than their offline interactions.”
But don’t assume that digital means impersonal. Across all channels, personalization is the key to cutting through the noise and catching the attention of Gen Z. Not only that, but while the majority may prefer texting, plenty of them -- 39 percent, according to data from LeadSquared -- say that one-on-one communication is the most effective way to reach them.
Gen Z expert and co-writer of Generation Z Goes to College Corey Seemiller told immersive technology company YouVisit, “I think in a world where we envision Generation Z being digital natives, we also envision them only being digitally competent and only preferring digital methods of communication. But in many communications they still like a personal touch. So, as [admission professionals] think about recruitment, remember that the face-to-face thing is still very important to them–probably, more important than people are giving it credit for.”
