Social media is one of the most effective marketing channels for companies of any size. In fact, it works so well that more than half of U.S. small businesses are planning to increase their social media marketing budget this year.

Generation Z is at the forefront of social media — they are extremely active on social networks, with half of Gen Z connected online via their smartphones for approximately 10 hours per day. This generation loves personalized apps, and a poll from SCG notes that 88% of Gen Zers are primarily using Instagram and Snapchat. Because of the new ways in which Gen Z is using social media, they’re changing the outlets associated with these platforms as well, with music at the forefront.

Fabrizio Moreira, founder of recording company VIP Music Records, understands the marketing punch social media can deliver, when executed correctly. The company is expanding rapidly, and recently inked a long-term contract with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music.

However, their primary focus has been Latin America, where they now hold the top spot for music distribution in the youth market. As a global study by Nielsen notes, listening to music is a primary source of Generation Z’s entertainment, with 37% of respondents stating it was top choice. This suggests Moreira is on his way to making his label a household name across the globe.

The fast growth of Moreira’s recording company and the success of its artists is a result of several factors, with a solid social media marketing strategy leading the way. I recently spoke with Moreira, and asked him for his top social media marketing tips for Gen Zers.

1. Test Multiple Social Platforms 

According to Moreira, you aren’t going to know which social networks will provide value unless you test them. He says, “You have to think like your target customer, and determine what networks they are more than likely to be active on. Then you need to become active and put out a serious effort. It’s not something you can just play with for a day or two and expect to have a concrete answer.”

It’s important to experiment with as many social networks as possible and think beyond just dollars when evaluating their value. “You might find that Twitter posts aren’t converting into immediate sales, but it’s a great source for driving new followers to your Instagram page, which does convert at a high rate,” Moreira notes.

2. Measure Everything With Scaling In Mind 

Moreira suggests that all social media efforts should be designed and executed with scaling in mind. “Social media gives you the opportunity to connect with the world, and when you identify a winning strategy, it can easily be scaled as high as your budget will allow. This is why you read so many stories of startups quickly scaling to millions of dollars in revenue in a short period of time. Social media gives you that unlimited reach ability.”

As the youths’ behavior is changing on these platforms, advertisers need to integrate themselves into their lifestyle. Moreira says, “Consumers are becoming very savvy when it comes to social media, and they are becoming immune to ads and promotional posts that lack creativity. You have to offer something of value if you expect to capture even a second of someone’s time on social media.”

3. Recognize Who Your Target Market Is

“Not knowing precisely who your target market is will lead to an epic fail,” according to Moreira. He suggests that you take the time to properly identify your target market and then utilize all of the targeting options available, with a focus on Facebook to start.

“Facebook has the most targeting options, allowing you to laser-focus your efforts. I see a lot of campaigns make the mistake of focusing on the reach rather than the target. Placing your offer in front of 1,000 highly targeted prospects is going to perform much better than showing it to 500,000 untargeted prospects.” Moreira notes that the smaller targeted audience will not only convert higher, but the overall ad spend will be lower since you are targeting a much smaller pool.

Though Facebook can be a great first test run for targeting, be wary of using it as your primary channel. According to the survey from SCG above, Generation Z’s usage is down, with only 66% using it daily.

4. Realize That You Have To Spend Money To Make Money

This is the point that Moreira really focused on. “Far too many brands think that they can post organically and that the business should roll in. Social media has become a pay-to-play platformand anyone complaining about that needs to re-evaluate the situation. These social networks are no different than the companies using them — everyone is in it to turn a profit.”

Moreira suggests starting with a small budget and then increasing it once you find ad copy and ad formats that perform well. “You also need to realize that it’s going to require a testing budget before you should realistically expect results. You can’t load up $20 and then become discouraged when you don’t find immediate success.”

When marketing to Gen Z on social media, it can be tough to find the quantitative levels of success you’re after. However, by sticking with a plan that is telling a genuine, relatable story, you can reach not just fans, but followers for years to come. And if anyone knows how to do this, it’s the man who will probably have a bust of himself in Cleveland someday soon.

Article written by Deep Patel