How Your Small Business Can Reach Gen Z
Trends move fast — one moment a TikTok dance is everywhere, the next a random niche product is selling out. For small businesses, keeping up can feel overwhelming. Gen Z can be a tricky crowd: we’ve grown up online and we know the value of our attention. Simply put, we won’t stick around for content that doesn’t serve us. But don’t worry — reaching us isn’t impossible.
As MarketLife’s marketing intern (and a Gen Z myself), I’ve put together seven simple tips to help your brand cut through the noise and connect with this generation. While you might not be the next viral sensation, you can be the brand everyone’s talking about in the group chat.
Gen Z may not always show their support with public likes and comments, but that doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention. The real magic happens in private spaces — when your product gets shared, screenshotted, or sent around to friends. That’s where influence grows, and with the right approach, your brand can absolutely be part of the conversation.
Prioritise digital content: Gen Z is known for spending most of their time on their devices, starting the day by responding to a plethora of notifications and scrolling TikTok before they hit the hay at the end of the day. It’s important to jump online at these times and post scroll-stopping content to maximise reach, drive engagement and increase brand awareness.
Keep up to date with trends: Chasing trends can feel exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. Just five minutes a day scrolling TikTok or Instagram can give you plenty of inspiration. You’ll start spotting patterns; popular sounds, viral phrases, or quirky dances that keep popping up. The trick is to look at them with your business in mind. How could you put your own spin on a trend? Often, it’s simpler (and more fun!) than you think to customise a trend to fit your brand.
Lean into authenticity: In a world full of Ai and sneaky scammers, Gen Z can spot inauthentic marketing from a mile away. They’re drawn to brands that showcase real people doing relatable things such as behind-the-scenes moments, honest storytelling, simple tutorials and funny realities.
Encourage participation: From experience, pressing buttons and responding to a business is exciting and engaging. Keep your audience engagement up by posting Polls, Q&As or little games like ‘This or That’ on your Instagram story. Little efforts to bridge the gap between business and consumer go a long way.
Show off and stick to your values: Authenticity really matters, and Gen Z pays close attention to the values behind a brand. Instead of making occasional big statements, weave your beliefs and causes into your everyday content. Showing what you stand for consistently builds trust and stronger loyalty, helping your audience feel aligned with your brand on a deeper level.
Pay attention to private engagement:
Public likes and comments aren’t what they used to be. With Instagram’s newer features showing what content people interact with, users have become more conscious of their actions, which means less visible engagement overall. But that doesn’t mean your content isn’t working — the real metric to watch now is shares. What are people sending to their friends, saving for later, or quietly engaging with in private? These are signs that your posts are resonating and sparking conversations behind the scenes. For small businesses, this is powerful — it means your products are being talked about in group chats and DMs, not just in the comments section.Connect in person: Digital marketing is powerful, but nothing replaces face-to-face interaction. Meeting your audience in person allows you to build genuine trust, create memorable experiences, and have conversations that simply don’t happen online. Markets and events are a great way to show the personality behind your brand, get immediate feedback, and form long-term customer relationships. If you’re not sure where to start, MarketLife can help. We specialise in creating opportunities for small businesses to showcase their products directly to the community. It’s not just about selling on the day — it’s about building lasting connections that keep people coming back.
Reaching Gen Z might seem daunting, but it really comes down to being authentic, adaptable, and engaged. By showing up online with creative, value-driven content — and backing it up with real-life connections — your small business can cut through the noise and build genuine loyalty. Start small, experiment with trends, and focus on building relationships, not just making sales. With the right approach, your brand could be the next one Gen Z can’t stop talking about.
Want some extra help reaching Gen Z (or everyone!) through your social media? We offer one-off audits and strategies to help you feel confident building your brand, or ongoing social media management so you can focus on creating
