A recent Marketing Brew feature underscores an important shift in audience expectations, particularly among Gen Z consumers. This group is now the most marketing-aware cohort in the United States, and they respond differently to digital content than previous generations. According to recent survey data, over 60 percent of Gen Z respondents say they prefer brand messaging that feels like conversation rather than promotion, with a growing preference for content that demonstrates authenticity and relevance without overt sales language.
For small and mid-sized businesses, this signals a need to adjust tone, cadence, and structure—especially in social and email campaigns. Gen Z expects brands to provide substance before asking for a transaction. They respond to content that mirrors dialogue, shows understanding of their values, and presents ideas that feel timely rather than scripted.
While some marketers might misinterpret this as a call to become informal or casual, the reality is more nuanced. Effective communication with Gen Z requires clarity, responsiveness, and restraint. At SMBinfo, we encourage clients to approach this shift by anchoring their content in three principles:
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Speak to audience concerns with specificity, not generalities
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Avoid over-engineered slogans and campaign phrases
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Use first-party insights to deliver content that anticipates interest rather than simply promotes features
Email sequences can be revised to include brief narratives or open-ended questions, rather than click-heavy layouts. Social content should center more on feedback loops and less on announcements. Even blog articles, while still professional, benefit from integrating perspectives that show awareness of what younger consumers care about, including environmental responsibility, diversity in hiring, and financial transparency.
HubSpot users can make tactical use of tools such as behavioral segments, progressive profiling, and adaptive content modules to serve context-specific messaging to this segment. However, the tools will only be effective if informed by genuine effort to understand how Gen Z chooses to engage with commercial content.
This shift is not theoretical. It reflects evolving habits of the next generation of customers and business leaders. The SMBs that adjust their marketing tone to reflect this shift—without compromising clarity or discipline—will find themselves better positioned to build trust and loyalty among a rising class of buyers.
Summary Tip: Reframe your messaging to reflect Gen Z’s preference for conversational tone, relevance, and restraint—especially in email, social, and digital content.