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If you still remember cassette tapes, slap bracelets, and desperately trying to keep your Tamagotchi alive, you might be a Millennial. That also means, if you’re on the older end of that generation, you may have a hard time understanding today’s teens and young adults.
Generation Z makes up those who were born after 1996 and are currently between the ages of 6 and 24. Generation Z is the classification for middle schoolers, high schools, and young adults which means that youth ministry is entirely Gen Z.
To be honest, we don’t know all that much information about Generation Z quite yet.
What we do know is that:
This generation is truly unique when it comes to their involvement in society, but they are also unique in that they are digital natives.
This means that they were literally born into the age of digital technology; it is essentially a part of their DNA. Because of this, Generation Z is extremely active on social media and interacting digitally is first nature for them.
It goes without saying that one of the most effective ways to reach teens in Generation Z is through social media. Some of the most popular social media platforms among Gen Z include TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Other social apps like Snapchat and Twitch are also extremely popular.
It is great to know where Generation Z spends most of their time online, but what do we do once we meet them there? Gen Z has more standards than you’d think regarding the types of accounts they follow and interact with.
In order to most effectively reach this generation of youth, we have to gain a better understanding of the things they value in the digital sphere.
Generation Z is highly driven by their values and beliefs. They are much more likely to support a social media “brand” when they feel they can align with their values.
Clarity is key when it comes to your social media platform. Make it abundantly clear what you believe, what you exist for, and who is invited to join the community.
Gen Z truly believes that brands have a role in improving our society. Although your church or youth group isn’t a brand, you’d probably agree that a part of your mission is to improve the world around you.
Hone in on this part of your “brand identity” and be completely clear about how you want to play a part in bettering society. Gen Z notices these things, and they will support you because of it.
Nothing is more awkward than a 30-something trying to talk with a younger audience with their own lingo. Each generation has their own special “language” that connects them to one another and Gen Z’s has a digital twist.
Understanding this language is imperative in finding ways to communicate with Generation Z. But you don’t want to try too hard to speak a language that isn’t your own because they will surely notice.
If you want to reach Gen Z, you have to know how to speak their language. This is as simple as interacting with them via the avenues they are already familiar with. Practically, this would be through hilarious videos, trending TikToks, and popular memes.
This can take a bit of effort on our end because it will be up to us to keep up with trending topics of discussion and learning to integrate our own twist on them. Trends come and go quickly, so it will take a lot of awareness to keep things current and fresh for your Gen Z audience.
Elevation Youth is a great example of a youth group that stays relevant without trying too hard.
Authenticity is extremely important to Generation Z. They will not just mindlessly consume information and content from just anybody. They will take the time to look into the brand, see their reputation in the public sphere, and choose to interact with them or not based on these criteria.
A simple solution to this is to be completely transparent as a church (or youth group). Don’t try to be somebody you are not but allow your personality to full shine through!
The way to be truly authentic with your Gen Z audience is to have a real voice behind everything you post, share, and communicate. A practical way to do this is to have a real person to interact with anyone who engages with your page. Stray from using an automatic message reply or generic replies — make it personal!
As mentioned, you don’t want to try way too hard to be relevant and cool in the eyes of your audience. However, you do want to do things that will actually bring about the effective reach you are looking for.
Generation Z loves to be entertained and they know how to filter out boring or mundane content. You only have a very short window to actually capture their attention, so you have to make it count and quick.
Before attempting to entertain, you have to choose which social media platforms you should focus your efforts on. TikTok and Instagram are great places to start and perfect for sharing short videos that can still pack a huge punch.
This is where you get to have fun! There are so many creative ways you can integrate your own voice and mission into your videos and posts.
Social media has its name for a reason — relationships are the point! If your only aim is to mindlessly pump out content as pure entertainment you may be missing out on an essential part of social media: community!
An important element of a community is each person having their voice being heard. It isn't a true community if you can’t be actively involved in the conversation.
In order to create a true family-like community, there needs to be interaction beyond just one-sides posts. Social media is the perfect starting point to capture people’s attention, but the ultimate goal would be to reach youth even further by getting them involved in community.
You can leverage social media to build relationships with your followers that could eventually lead to them getting involved at your church, youth group, or other in-person events.
If gathering in person isn’t an option or a preference for the youth you are trying to reach, there are still ways to build community. Thankfully technology has afforded us the ability to build community with people who live across the country and even the world!
However the community looks, all that matters is that it indeed exists and that it is nurtured properly.
We are still learning so much Generation Z and will continue to do so for many years to come. The goal is not to try to crack their code, but it is to create meaningful relationships through our vision, authenticity, value, and relevance.
Want to better connect with Gen Z?
Start by establishing a digital presence to connect with them where they are online. Contact Pro MediaFire today to learn how we can help with your church’s design, video, social media, and strategy so you can reach Gen Z with the gospel.
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