How to Market to Gen Z

Marketing Mental Healthcare Services & Products to Gen Z: Tailoring Your Approach for the Next Generation

Who is Gen Z?
Gen Z, the group born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, is stepping into adulthood and reshaping the market with their unique perspectives and values. As they start making their own decisions, especially regarding health and wellness, understanding their mindset becomes crucial for mental healthcare providers.

The Importance of Reaching Gen Z
As Gen Z grows, so does their influence in the consumer space, including healthcare. They’re not just future clients; they’re today’s trendsetters and tomorrow’s leaders. Marketing to them isn’t just about catching their eye now; it’s about building a relationship that could last a lifetime.

Adapting Our Marketing Strategies
Yes, it’s time for a change. Gen Z interacts with content and makes purchasing decisions differently than previous generations. They seek authenticity, transparency, and values that align with their own. It’s not just about what you’re offering; it’s about how you present it.

How to Connect with Gen Z in Mental Healthcare Marketing

1. Focus on Self-Improvement: Gen Z is all about bettering themselves. They’re on the lookout for tools and information that can help them grow. Your marketing should emphasize how your services or products support their journey towards becoming their best selves.
2. Value Over Sale: Hard sells are a turn-off. This generation looks for value and engagement. Provide content that educates, inspires, and supports their mental health journey, and let the products or services weave naturally into that narrative.
3. Embrace Short-Form Content: Attention spans are evolving, and Gen Z tends to favor quick, digestible pieces of content. Think short videos, infographics, and posts that get straight to the point but leave a lasting impact.
4. Video is King: Particularly short, dynamic clips that can tell a story in a few seconds. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are hotspots for engaging this audience with content that’s both informative and entertaining.
5. Keep It Simple and Bold: When it comes to design, less is more for Gen Z, but that doesn’t mean boring. Use clean layouts paired with bold and bright color schemes to grab attention and convey your message clearly.

Frequently Asked Question’s:

How to do marketing to Gen Z?

To market to Gen Z effectively:

• Be authentic – they can smell inauthenticity a mile away.

• Use short-form video – TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts are where they spend time.

• Leverage user-generated content (UGC) – peer reviews and real people over polished ads.

• Prioritize mobile – they live on their phones.

• Support causes – social justice, sustainability, and diversity matter to them.

• Engage, don’t broadcast – they want two-way interaction, not just ads.

What is Gen Z marketing style?

• Relatable, raw, and real – not overly curated.

• Fast-paced and visual – think memes, GIFs, and lo-fi videos.

• Humor and irony – self-aware and often sarcastic or irreverent.

• Community-driven – they trust influencers, creators, and even comment sections more than brands.

Why is marketing to Gen Z so important?

• They make up over 40% of global consumers and have growing purchasing power.

• Gen Z is influencing older generations’ buying behaviors.

• They’re trendsetters – from fashion to tech, they drive cultural shifts.

What are the challenges of marketing to Gen Z?

• Short attention spans – you’ve got 1–2 seconds to hook them.

• Ad fatigue – they’re constantly marketed to and know how to ignore or block ads.

• Skepticism – they question everything, especially brand motives.

• Platform fragmentation – you need to show up across multiple platforms and tailor content.

What is Generation Z in marketing?

In marketing terms, Gen Z (born ~1997–2012) is:

• A digital-native generation that grew up with the internet, smartphones, and social media.

• A consumer group that values transparency, speed, and purpose.

• An audience that prefers brands that entertain, educate, and engage.

What do Gen Z use instead of 😂?

They’ve kind of retired 😂 and replaced it with:

• 💀 (skull emoji) = “I’m dead” (laughing hard)

• 😭 (crying emoji) – used ironically for laughing

• The clown emoji 🤡 or even just typing “lmao,” “pls,” or “I’m wheezing.”

How has Gen Z changed marketing?

• Influencer marketing exploded because of them.

• Brands now talk like humans, often with humor or memes.

• Social causes became central to brand messaging.

• They’ve pushed the rise of short-form, snackable content.

• Customer feedback loops and community building are now vital.