The younger generations – Gen Z in particular – are digital natives. Yep, they’re the first generation to have grown up with the internet as part of their everyday lives. Crazy thought – we know!
Gen Z’ers are chronically online, so it can be tricky to write content that connects with them. Like with any niche or specific audience segment, you’ll need to adapt your writing style to reach Gen Z and Millennials (or risk giving them the dreaded ick!).
Not sure whether you’re targeting Gen Z or Millennials? We’ll explain who’s who, then show you how to adapt your writing style and create content for a Gen Z audience.
Generation Z vs. Millennials
Understanding the differences and similarities between Gen Z and Millennials will give you a greater insight into how you can tweak your content to appeal to your target audience. Luckily, the differences between the two are pretty minimal, so many of the Gen Z traits can also be applied to Millennials.
Who is Gen Z?
Anyone who was born between the years 1997 and 2012 is part of Gen Z.
That means Generation Z has never known a world without the internet. It’s not a novelty to them – it’s baked into every part of daily life. From connecting with friends, streaming music, and watching TV to shopping for products, booking services, and making travel plans, they do it all online.
Gen Z’s values
Gen Z is unlike any other generation. And when you’re writing or creating content for Generation Z, it’s important to keep their values in mind.
According to a Stanford-affiliated study, “Gen Z are typically self-driven, collaborative, and diverse-minded,” and “they value flexibility, authenticity, and a pragmatic approach to addressing problems.” They look for real, purpose-driven content and turn their nose up at anything that feels overly polished or disingenuous. The key to connecting with them is to keep it real!
Who are Millennials?
Millennials are anyone born between the years 1981 and 1996. Yep, the higher end of millennials are starting to notice their bones getting a little more achy after that long walk, if you know what we mean (and yes, we’re talking from experience here).
While Millennials weren’t born into the World Wide Web (remember dial-up? And life before YouTube?), most of them have spent a large chunk of their lives online, just like Gen Z.
Millennials’ values
So, Millennials and Gen Z aren’t so different after all. In fact, they tend to share some of the same interests and values, and they look for a lot of the same things in the content they consume.
While you’ll most likely find them hanging out on slightly different sides of the internet, when it boils down to it, both groups seek valuable, entertaining and genuine content.
How NOT to write for Gen Z
First of all, here are a few things you should avoid when writing for a Gen Z audience.
Lay off the internet slang, queen
Some slang terms might fit into your content, but don’t overuse slang or buzzwords in an attempt to sound ‘with it’. Remember, Gen Z values authenticity. They can see straight through forced lingo, and they definitely won’t appreciate it. So, if you don’t actually use the word “slay” in your everyday vocabulary, don’t use it in your content.
Skip the stereotype
When you picture Gen Z, what springs to mind? A teen in faded denim staring glassy-eyed into the endless scroll with earbuds in? Think again.
Gen Z is a socially-conscious, diverse generation with a wide range of experiences, interests, and priorities. While we all get stuck in our phones sometimes, assuming Gen Z are all teenage social media zombies will make your content miss the mark.
How to speak Gen Z in your marketing
Here are some things you can do when making content and trying to connect with Generation Z.
Meet them on their favourite social media platforms
You can write the most unique, engaging, and authentic content in the world, but if it’s gonna resonate with Gen Z, they have to find it first. And most of the time, they won’t come looking – you have to go to them. That means, you’ve gotta find out where the cool kids hang out, i.e., which online platforms they use the most.
According to Sprout Social, Instagram continues to be a crowd favourite for Gen Z and Millennials in 2025, with 65% of its users under the age of 35. TikTok is up there, too – their largest age group is 25-34 year olds, and an estimated 82% of Gen Z’ers were reported likely to have a TikTok account.
Showcase your personality
As the first generation born into the internet age, Gen Z’ers (and many Millennials) have seen a lot of content. So, what does this mean for you as an agency or brand trying to grab their attention?
It means you’ll probably have to work a bit harder (sorry). Why? Because they’ve already seen just about every marketing trick in the book, so they’ll likely scroll right past anything that feels too been-there-done-that.
They want to be surprised, entertained, and to feel like they relate to the brands and businesses they align with. So, surprise! Entertain! Find ways to show your personality, sprinkle in some humour here and there, and connect with an audience looking for something interesting – all while staying true to your brand identity and values.
Make it engaging
Whether you’re creating written content for a blog or using your social media accounts to interact with Gen Z, look for engaging ways to keep their attention once you’ve managed to catch it.
For example, if you’re writing blog posts, break up your text with images – from at-a-glance infographics to relevant GIFs or even memes (if it makes sense for your brand to include them!). The best part? You can make these visual elements sharable, giving your audience an easy way to post the meme you made to their social channels or send your content to their friends.
If GIFs and memes are a little outside your brand personality, even including an on-page comments section can increase engagement on your blog. It gives your readers a way to leave feedback, ask questions, and request future topics.
On social media platforms, depending on which network you choose, you can include interactive elements like polls and quizzes in your content. These are a great way to keep your followers engaged with your accounts and collect valuable information from your target audience.
Remember: Engagement works both ways. Make sure you respond to comments, questions, feedback, and direct messages to build trust in your brand and keep the conversation going!
Be chill
You probably know by now that conversational content is key in digital marketing – and that goes triple for connecting with Gen Z and Millennials. They’re not here for all that formal malarkey, so keep your tone cool and casual, and simply talk to them, friend to friend.
Connecting with them on a genuine level will keep them engaged and (hopefully) listening to what you have to say.
Keep it snappy
Yes, Gen Z are notorious for their dwindling attention span, but long-winded chunky pieces of text can bore anyone. Break down your content into snippets that are easy on the eye.
Think shorter paragraphs, bullet points to summarise info, images to break up text, page indexes, and summaries at the beginning and end of long-form content.
On Gen Z and Millennial social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, less is usually more. Short-form videos, image carousels, sharable infographics, and concise captions are a great way to break longer content into more digestible bits.
The bottom line is this…
Writing for Generation Z (and Millennials) requires you to really know your audience. Find out what apps they use most and create content that’s both valuable and shows a healthy dose of your brand personality.
By understanding their pain points, humour, and digital habits, you can create content for Gen Z that they’ll actually want to consume – and engage with.
Ultimately, it’s all about meeting them where they are and learning to speak their language. Remember, keep it real, keep it snappy, and most importantly, keep it engaging!
Need help connecting with your audience? Let’s chat! Reach out to our team to create the content your business deserves. Whether you need help with Social Media Marketing, or you just want to have a chat to see what we can do for you, we’d love to help!
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