Social media is having a huge influence on the younger generations’ purchasing decisions. Generation Z (GenZ) is finding products on social media and then buying those products–and they’re not just purchasing products online. Social media influence can carry over into brick-and-mortar stores as well.

Your company needs a consistent marketing experience across all channels. Wherever your product is sold, your display promotion must connect to your social media activity. If you’re targeting GenZ, that experience must come across in your social media presence, especially on Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. But don’t ignore other social media outlets!

To translate your company’s social media activity into a successful product rollout, you must ensure consistent merchandising execution. What GenZ sees on social media, they should also see in the retail space. Connecting these two environments builds your brand’s image and increases the likelihood of making the sale.

Social Media and GenZ

GenZ shoppers take their cues from social media at an incredible rate. A recent Yes Lifecycle Marketing study found that a whopping 80% of GenZ are influenced by social media. Millennials weren’t far behind at 74%.

GenZ grew up with computers and now have the Internet in their pockets thanks to smartphones. Though averse to advertising on their phones, GenZ connect to the world through social media apps. If they see brands and products relating to them within these familiar platforms, they’re more open to persuasion.

Social media isn’t a landscape for comparison shopping. When you craft a marketing campaign that includes social media, you should focus on what makes your product special, not why it’s a bargain. In fact, GenZ shoppers don’t care much about price and are more willing than other generations to pony up for luxury brands.

Beyond GenZ Customers

Social media also influences older generations such as the Millenials, GenX, and the Baby Boomers. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are top social media influencers for GenZ and Millennials. To a lesser extent–but still important–Facebook also influences GenX and Baby Boomers.

So that means to address the whole population, your company should be active across a wide range of social media platforms. Plus, you should concentrate on reaching your target market through the specific social media platforms that influence them.  This may even vary amongst your target user groups, not just the ages.  For example, mountain climbers may use Facebook more often than Instagram for its organizational capabilities.

A High-Quality and Cohesive Experience

It is important for your company to put forth a high-quality and cohesive experience on social media. As your social media changes, you need to ensure that the look and feel of the other parts of your marketing strategy have the same aesthetic and message.

When potential customers see your products in the store, they should make the mental connection to your social media. Incongruence between social media and retail could very well leave your potential customers doubting whether the item they see on the store shelf is the same one they fell in love with on Instagram.

Once you’ve crafted a cohesive marketing campaign, you want to be sure retailers implement that experience according to your standards. Observa can help make sure your retail execution is exactly what you’d like it to be. By conducting a retail audit, Observa gives you a “merchandising checkup.” You get unbiased data and feedback about your company’s in-store marketing, retail compliance to your advertising specifications, and much more!