Everyone born after the 1997s is now referred to as Generation Z, and most marketers consider them a tough crowd to sell. However, in many ways, Gen Z and Millenials buy products and follow buying patterns differently when compared to baby boomers, aka the older generations.
Economic trends, the job market, and the rise in the cost of living have changed the way Gen Z thinks about financial management and lending.
While many Gen Z-ers are not yet financially self-sufficient and will not be for some time, you may utilise marketing methods to attract them today and create long-term partnerships.
Research tells us, even with volatile jobs and reduced salaries since the pandemic, 80% of Gen Z is concerned about money, and two-thirds want to build good credit scores and improve financial records to be eligible for future lending like home and car loans.
Education lending is where most Gen Z are interested in as it will be their first step towards building a credit score. This is why now is an excellent time for lending institutions and banks to reach out to them and build lasting relations using educational lending products.
How to Engage Gen Z with Educational Lending?
As mentioned earlier, influencing the buying behaviour of Gen Z is a lot harder than it used to be with baby boomers, mainly because they are more decisive and careful with their decisions.
Also read: Is Hyper-Personalisation the Future of Banking?
Eighty per cent of Gen Z and Millennials fear ending up with piled up student loans that they will not be able to pay off. However, they also do not wish to struggle financially as their previous generations did with loans that could not be paid off.
Another reason is that Gen Z is more informed and is aware of the multitude of options, and only wants the best, especially while making financial decisions.
However, engaging with them can be made simple using these three simple tips:
Gen Z Love Brands with a Digital Presence
Establishing and maintaining a robust digital presence will significantly pay off for Gen Z. Most of Gen Z is active on social media, and brands can use it to build brand awareness using social media platforms.
Gen Z is also used to doing their research and checking online reviews promptly before beginning their purchase journey. They also prefer self-service tools for services and products online and on the web.
A study found “offering digital capabilities like remote deposit and mobile banking, as well as a physical location” can help banks and credit unions connect more with Gen Z.
Moreover, building a solid social media presence, maintaining brand personality online and investing in online marketing strategies can help increase your educational lending products.
Also read: Five Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Lending in India
Communicate Value and Experience
Gen Z prefers making purchases with brands they trust, and building trust, experience, and value are essential. So begin by showing Gen Z prospects how your brand can step in to meet their pain points and challenges.
A study showed that Gen Z, even after deciding to take an educational loan, is met with several uncertainties:
- Men are 39.7% more confident than women that they will pay off their student loans in five years post-graduation.
- Fifty-two per cent of the respondents expressed that they lacked faith in the job market as it is harder to land a job today than for their parents.
- And 20.1% of the respondents said their top concern post-graduation was if they would be able to pay off their student debt.
Therefore, your marketing strategy should cater to these pain points Gen Z are facing regarding educational loans. Hence, sharing knowledge and insights about how lending with your institutions can benefit them, tips on building credit, saving up for a car or home in the future, or teaching basic budgeting can be avenues to reflect value in your brand.
Gen Z, which finds value in your brand today, will continue to seek your expertise for future lending requirements.
Be a Book
When you tell your prospects A-Z facts about the product with nothing hidden in the fine scripts, Gen Z is likely to trust you and buy your products.
Being transparent with your customers also includes sharing company progress, keeping terms and conditions neat and precise, clarity in fees and prices and a complete view of what they are buying.
When they have a clear, crisp idea of what you offer, they are more likely to trust your brand for current and future lending needs.
Bonus
Several Gen Z purchases can be influenced by client testimonials and how your brand has played a part in solving their problems. Use client stories to add value to your brand and emphasise how educational lending can be a hassle-free process when partnered with the right lending institution.
Also read: What is Big Data and How Can Modern Banks Leverage It?
Suppose your lending institution is poised to cater to Gen Z, apart from a reliable marketing strategy. In that case, you’d also need a robust bank statement analysis tool to analyse the bank statements of potential loan applicants.
Verify income, creditworthiness, Transactions, irregularities, circular transactions, bounced checks, cash flow, return/ charges and more using the state-of-art Precisa bank statement analyser.
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