Attracting college students to your brand may be a challenge, but companies can find ways to customize their advertising campaigns and resonate with these younger consumers. By harnessing the power of generational marketing, your brand can focus on Gen Z.

Using UGC and Social Media to Build a Connection

UGC is a great way to start attracting young shoppers. College students are digital natives, so collecting content is a viable possibility for most brands and is also key to finding potential customers.

These social media platforms work best for visual content:

• Instagram: Share aesthetic photos of your products that feature UGC. Be sure to upload content that encourages engagement with your posts. By interacting with your audience regularly, you can build brand engagement and encourage more social proof.
• YouTube: Many brands see success with tutorials and UGC on YouTube. Especially for travel and cosmetics, YouTube can be both a distribution channel and a good source of UGC for one of the highest engagement rates.

Many young people spend their time-consuming content and much of this includes watching videos. By integrating videos into your online marketing campaign, young shoppers will likely engage with your brand.

However, you must keep in mind that each platform has its own specifics. Here are some things to remember:

• YouTube: Start a YouTube channel and make videos no longer than 10-15 videos that are either informative or entertaining. Alternatively, consider launching a YouTube Ad campaign.
• Instagram: Upload videos as usual posts (around one minute long), Stories (short boomerangs and longer videos around 30 seconds in length), and IGTV (around 10-15 minutes long).
• Facebook: Combine text posts with videos for a greater effect. Make these videos no longer than 15 minutes to avoid losing the attention of consumers.
• Twitter: Upload funny or educational videos (depending on your brand's image) that are no longer than 5-10 minutes.

Highlight Sustainability

Consumers in today’s market are passionate about brands that are mission-driven. Because the environment is such an issue, environmentally friendly brands are attracting young shoppers. Offering sustainable solutions and eco-friendly products will win with college students and help your brand build positive social proof.

Whether your brand offers services or products, providing environmentally friendly options will create a positive presence for your company.

Prioritize Authenticity & Storytelling

Use storytelling in your marketing strategy to inform consumers what your brand stands for and which values are important. College students are excited about brands that have values, and this will help you establish connections with your customers and build brand relationships.

It is important to remain legitimate and creative during your storytelling by harnessing a strategy that doesn’t seem ingenuine. By using user-generated content and customer reviews, your brand will stay authentic.

‍Bridgette Hernandez is a Master in Anthropology who is interested in writing and planning to publish her own book in the nearest future. She finished her study last year but is already a true expert when it comes to presenting a text in a creative and understandable manner. She is a writer for Grab My Essay and WOWgrade, and contributor for Supreme Dissertations.