What Is a Digital Native?

A digital native is someone who was born after the usage of digital technology became common in households. They don’t come from a particular generation, but they are commonly Millennials (born 1982-2002) or Generation Z (born 1996-2009). Not all persons born during those time are digital natives, but they are more likely to be one than someone from a previous generation.

Digital natives grew up using technology such as computers, the internet, mobile devices, apps, YouTube, Instagram, video games, and even online homework portals. Because of their constant exposure to technology, using digital tech is second nature to them and they have an innate ability to understand and adopt new technologies very quickly.

Digital natives created and promoted the sharing economy (Uber, Airbnb, SolarCity, etc.). They use apps for everything, are very active on social media, and love to do online product ratings and reviews. They share everything – good or bad – on social media. Because of the way they use technology, marketing to them needs to be different than to digital immigrants.

Marketing to Digital Natives: Why Do We care?

When they press or swipe, a digital native expects an immediate response and instant gratification. They are willing to share personal data if it means they’ll receive special offers or promotions and a shopping experience tailored towards their needs.

You need to understand that marketing to them must be different than how you market to non-digital natives. If you don’t learn how to engage with them, you’ll lose out on the opportunity to earn their respect, loyalty, and of course access to their spending power.

But does it really matter if you miss out? Yes, it does if you plan on being in business for many years. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that by 2030, Millennials will represent 75% of the workforce. Accenture made an estimation of spending power and found that in 2013, their spending power in the US was $600 billion. They forecast that by 2020, this number will go up to $1.4 trillion.

As you can see, that is a lot of buying power. But that’s not the only thing to keep in mind. Digital natives are influencers, both on social media and among their family and friends, and their opinions influence the purchase decisions of others as well. If you want to catch the wave, you need to start building relationships with digital natives now.

How to Market to Digital Natives

If you’re not a digital native yourself, it might be difficult to understand just how to go about attracting them to choose your product or service. Think of it as digitally replicating the experience of having a human salesperson selling a product or service to a prospective client. Here are a few tips to help you along:

• The first and most important way to attract digital natives is by personalization. Personalization is like having a one-on-one connection similar to what you will see between a shop owner and his or her regulars. Not the experience you will get by visiting a large department store or when interacting with a big brand with a general message to everybody.
• Digital natives don’t like complicated or text-heavy messages as this just wastes their valuable time. They prefer their info come in bite-sized content, such as in infographics, interactive PDFs, pictures, and videos.
• Content distribution through social media is paramount, and a brand needs to build up a follower base on at least one or two of these platforms.
• Digital natives are smart and cautious. They expect quality, credibility, and authenticity. Gone are the days where consumers will just buy the first available product. They’ll do research first to make sure the product is exactly what they need, is of good quality, and even whether the brand or shop has the same values they have.
• According to Google, 83% of B2B buyers research a product online before they even contact the business. During this decision-making process, marketers must use digital channels to inform prospective clients and build an intimate relationship with them.

How Can You Connect with Digital Natives?

Of course, you can’t cater to the needs of only one type of consumer. The good news is that almost every consumer, irrelevant of their age, are happy when they receive a relevant and personalized experience. If they get value from the brands they interact with, they will become loyal customers.

LiftIgniter is owned and run by digital natives – we understand the lingo. We can help you incorporate personalization into your site. Just try out our free demo, or contact us to discuss how our machine learning technology can help your business increase its conversion rate.