Clothes, cosmetics, electronic gadgets, food, apps or educational aids – whatever the industry, social media marketing aimed at Polish Generation Z is governed by completely new rules. Are you planning to launch a new product or brand on the Polish market and win the hearts of young consumers? Get ready for a real thrill ride.
This article is a real starter pack – we’ve included everything you need to know about social media marketing to the so-called Polish “Zetas”, i.e. people born after 1995. Here are 9 tips from an experienced advertising agency!
Table of contents:
- Be where they are
- Omnichannel is the best strategy
- Learn how they think
- Be available 24/7
- Be natural
- Ads? Yes, but carefully
- Don’t forget the share option
- Be social-oriented
- Collaborate with influencers
1. Be where they are
Let us start with some key statistics. As in other countries, Polish ‘Zetas’ also spend most of their time on the Internet. According to the latest research it is often more than 5 hours a day – of which 1-2 hours are devoted exclusively to social media!
Which platforms rule among the Polish Generation Z? Here are the ‘holy trinity’ of key social media among ‘Zetas”:
Instagram – 51% use at least once a day
YouTube – 39% use at least once a day
TikTok – 24% use at least once a day
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Although TikTok takes third place here, it is worth bearing in mind that its importance is growing all the time. What is more, it is “Zetas” who constitute the largest percentage of this tool’s users. In Poland, TikTok is used mainly by people aged 14-15 (37%), 16-18 (27.5%) and 9-13 (25.5%). If your brand directs its message exclusively to Generation Z, you should definitely be there – either by creating your own videos or ads, or by cooperating with popular Polish TikTokers.
What are the various platforms used for by the Polish Zetas?
Instagram – image building, following your favourite influencers,
Snapchat – reporting on your life to your friends,
YouTube – following YouTubers, learning and watching cartoons (for the younger ones),
TikTok – creating your own content and watching others,
Facebook – participating in discussion groups,
Twitter – an increasingly popular place for young people to discuss (especially because it is relatively easy to contact their favourite online creators).
Messenger and WhatsApp – daily communication with friends.
2. Omnichannel is the best strategy
Young Poles are bombarded with posts, films, reports and commercials every day. What is more, they are eager to create content for the Internet (according to reports, every second Polish teenager aged 10-15 considers running their own social media channel an attractive occupation for the future). They consume countless amounts of visual and audiovisual content on a daily basis. They are used to multitasking. They follow their idols on various platforms simultaneously. Moreover, they themselves usually actively use at least a few social media.
Although until now marketers have tended to discourage the dispersal of communication across several platforms when targeting older generations, in the case of the Zetas the situation is somewhat different. Here the omnichannel strategy, i.e. the multichannel nature of the message, works much better.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
To start, focus on three platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok) and observe the results. Remember to adapt your content to mobile tools – it is on phones that young Poles use social media most often.
3. Learn how they think
Generation Z has a short attention span. Video content should therefore be dynamic and as attention-grabbing as possible. When planning your campaign, it’s also worth taking advantage of the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) syndrome, which is the fear of missing out on something (in this case online).
Make sure your social media content has a time limit to persuade observers to follow your profile on a regular basis. Short, timed promotions further introduce an element of exclusivity. This will allow you to create a buzz around your product and encourage your audience to share your information.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Stories are your strongest weapon. Young Poles love this feature of Instagram. It allows them to keep up to date with all the promotions and offers, and it will allow you to maintain a close, chummy relationship with your customers. All pluses!
4. Be available 24/7
Polish ‘Zetas’ are constantly tweeting, checking Stories, making Snaps – they are available virtually 24 hours a day. They expect the same from brands. When hiring or appointing people to run your social media, make sure they also use their phones constantly. It’s also important that they can translate even the most complex messages into simple, understandable words.
Also, don’t forget to moderate your channels. It is through social media (especially Direct Messages on Instagram), and not through official emails or phone calls, that the Polish “Zetas” communicate with brands. Quick reaction to messages and comments allows us to immediately catch and react to possible slip-ups or image crises.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Create a manual on how to respond to comments and messages. This will not only make communication with customers faster, but it will also make it consistent – no matter how many people are moderating the channels. Try to make your response time as quick as possible (e.g. 3 hours during the day and 6 hours at night).
5. Be natural
As the Polish saying goes, “when you step between the crows, you must caw just like them”. This motto fits perfectly with how proper communication with Polish Generation Z should look like. Young people are extremely sensitive to falsehood, artificiality and trying to be “cool”. It would be ideal to hire an agency with people from the younger generation in its team. They will be able to quickly spot the nuances that can contribute to image flaws in the eyes of the public.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Polish “Zetas” naturally use the language of the Internet. They use specific memes, gifs (especially on Facebook), acronyms and emoji. They understand specific pop culture motifs, quote specific songs or films, share specific trends, have specific idols – from Poland and abroad. Don’t try to blend into their world by force. Instead, bet on a young team. You will avoid a mistake such as the one made recently by the Polish Żabka chain. The brand was inspired by the Instagram profile of an influencer, creating very similar, “youthful” content. However, the recipients were not convinced.
7. Ads? Yes, but carefully
Don’t bombard them with ads. Generation Z is not only able to identify advertising content fairly quickly, but also subconsciously ignores it (so-called “banner blindness”). The results of the IRCenter report` show that the most annoying ads for young people are those on YouTube (45% of respondents found them the most irritating) and advertising emails (36%). On the other hand, the most interesting and desirable were ads on Instagram (31%) – both in Stories and in the feed.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
How to do social media advertising to appeal to the Polish generation Z?
- Sell an experience, not just a product (create a story and a brand personality that they just like).
- Use online creators they like.
- Make sure your adverts have a dose of humour.
- Use well-known and popular music.
- Personalise your ads well (targeting is key).
- Make sure your messages are easy to understand.
8. Don’t forget the share option
Sharing posts, photos, videos, stories or TikTocks is crucial to gaining popularity among Polish “Zetas”. The option to easily share content makes it easier to reach a wider audience, as people from the younger generation are much more likely to share, and send links with their own comments.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Don’t force your audience to share your content. Focus on making it interesting and engaging enough for them to do so organically.
9. Be social-oriented
Generation Z is the generation that engages in most of the social actions organised on social media. They are the ones who largely pass on hashtags related to zero waste, body positive, ecology or me too. Ideally, therefore, the brands that want to communicate with them should share their views. Young Poles value brands that clearly state their positions on issues that are important from their point of view. If someone is to reproach you for burying your head in the sand in a crisis situation, it will certainly be “Zetas”.
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Don’t be afraid to engage with social issues that are important to you, but do it with your head. Adding posts tagged #metoo or #blacklivesmatter while simultaneously advertising products will be perceived very negatively. Young Polish customers are equally critical of greenwashing and genderwashing. Avoid them like the plague.
10. Collaborate with influencers
The average Polish representative of Generation Z follows around 64 influencer accounts on Instagram. Almost 75% of them admit that influencers’ opinions help them make purchasing decisions. 46% of the surveyed “Zetas” even admit that they are able to pay more for a product if it was recommended by their favourite online creator. There is no doubt that influencer marketing (including that involving micro- and nano-influencers) will remain a hot topic in the world of online marketing for a long time to come.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqp7DZr_Z9/
Pro Tip from an advertising agency:
Always thoroughly vet the people you work with. Not just in terms of number of followers or credibility. You should investigate the whole image of the person you want to cooperate with. Check whether they have not recently caused any scandals or outrages. Some time ago, the Polish Internet saw a lot of abuse from large influencers who advertised unknown companies with questionable reputations. Since then, influencers are watched even more closely. And, consequently, also the companies that want to cooperate with them.
Social media marketing targeted at representatives of Generation Z in Poland is and will continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing marketers. Young people have grown up with full access to the Internet – they perceive the virtual world quite differently from older generations. Advertising messages addressed to them should also look different. If you are looking for support in promoting your brand on the Polish market and want to reach the Polish “Zetas”, you have come to the right place. Contact us – our team is waiting for such challenges!