For many companies, hearing the words ‘Gen Z customers’ can send a shiver of anxiety down their spine. Marketing teams worldwide are urgently trying to figure out how to connect with this generation as they emerge as a new and powerful commercial force.

While every generation has its slang and trends, emerging audiences are a bigger challenge because they consume and create content in a way that is different from any that have come before them.

One of the new generation’s defining features is cable-cutting – the act of disconnecting from cable television and traditional media outlets. They have grown up on the Internet and social media, rejecting traditional methods and, in many ways, being able to control the type of content they consume and create.

This rapidly changing landscape begs the question: What can a company do to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to these cultural changes? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are plenty of steps you can take to future-proof yourself, stay ahead of the market, and really capitalize on these changes.

My first and perhaps most obvious suggestion is to collaborate with the people driving these changes. If you are a Gen X or Millennial-owned business, you may not fully understand how a Gen Z audience operates, but working alongside a Gen Z influencer or someone who has a direct line to that audience definitely will.

Micro-influencers provide an excellent gateway to this. They have built dedicated communities around their brand that can provide a business with a direct link to their audiences. They have achieved this through the type of content they produce. Micro-influencers understand the type of content that resonates with their audience, and gaining insights into these preferences can be a key to unlocking the potential of Gen Z marketing.

It is also essential to be open to exploring the different content mediums. While video content is the biggest and most effective way of reaching younger audiences, podcasts are also continuing to have their moment. Being adaptable and open to these changes can be a game-changer in grabbing an audience’s attention.

At SGG Media, we have seen this first-hand with the success of Splash Sisters, our first-ever sports podcast. Audiences are looking for something they can engage and interact with, and these create the perfect opportunity for that.

Likewise, streaming is proving to be one of the most effective ways of connecting with Gen Z audiences. People are looking for authentic connections with brands, and live-streaming really strips away any of the polish and PR you find in other video formats and across other advertising. It provides a more candid and honest experience and can also really showcase a product in a way that other methods can not.

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Audiences have taken control of the way content is produced, and companies that want to succeed with younger generations, regardless of their sector, need to embrace this change, not run from it.

At SGG Media, we have seen companies that feel they can not reach their desired audiences instantly connect with hundreds of potential customers simply by working alongside our dedicated network of content creators. Collaboration is essential, and companies that are not comfortable with newer content platforms should allow micro-influencers and content creators to guide them.

One piece of feedback we receive regularly is just how freeing this process can be. Utilizing newer content platforms and working in these emerging environments allows micro-influencers to share their honest opinions of a product and to promote it organically. For companies, this saves them a lot of time having to think up advertising campaigns that may or may not even connect with their intended audiences.

It is becoming increasingly clear that content consumption is changing rapidly, and if businesses want to remain competitive, they need to find ways to partner with the people driving these changes. It’s time to stop fear cord-cutting and to take the scissors by the handle and embrace it.

Author: Troy Paul, CEO and Co-Founder of SGG Media