An ever-increasing amount of marketers are realising the benefits which come from getting millennials into their sales funnel. Being born between 1980 and 2000, millennials are considered to be the most ‘tech-savvy’ generation around at the moment, meaning they’re ready and waiting to soak up anything which marketers have on offer.
Sounds pretty neat, right? Unfortunately, there’s a catch.
It has been found that millennials naturally have shorter attention spans and expect immediate gratification right away, meaning if you aren’t offering something which can engage them in seconds, you’re unlikely to be successful. Different marketing tactics need to be considered when targeting millennials.
Although it’s pretty clear that social media marketing will be an instant hit with millennials, email marketing shouldn’t be pushed asides. With the following pointers in mind, you will be able to create a successful email marketing campaign which millennials won’t want to ignore.
Do millennials even like email?
Many marketers make the mistake of ignoring traditional, successful, marketing methods in an attempt to stand out to younger generations. This, however, is a costly mistake to make. There’s a reason why some marketing methods are more favoured than others, and although millennials may have different buying habits, they’re still human.
A couple of years ago, Adobe released the Adobe Email Consumer Survey, releasing some interesting trends about the world of email marketing. These results provided some really interesting insights into the relationship millennials have with their emails, too. In fact, it turns out millennials are actually pretty obsessed with email, with results showing the following:
📩 50%+ of millennials aged 18 to 24 check their email in bed in the morning
📩 43% of millennials aged 25 to 34 also check their email first thing
Looks like a lot of millennials continue to be active in their inboxes…
Tactics for engaging millennials through email
So, you know that millennials are observing their inboxes, but how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you get your email to engage with your audience, rather than being swiped into the trash without a second thought? Use the following pointers as a checklist and you’ll be good to go.
1. Less is more
As mentioned earlier, millennials have far shorter attention spans than previous generations. Although this might not apply to every single millennial out there, it’s still important to keep in mind. Due to this, less is certainly more when it comes to your marketing emails.
Brands, like Google, appeal to millions of internet users over the globe, without needing a flashy image. Through a combination of the right colours and typeface, minimalism helps to engage users without pushing them away. o optimize your email marketing strategy, consider crafting concise and impactful messages. You can achieve this by utilizing an editable newsletter template, ensuring your communications remain consistent and effectively capture your audience’s attention.
If possible, go minimal within your emails. Get straight to the point and don’t include too many distracting elements. The main goal here is to come across hassle-free and friendly.
2. Keep things casual
Nowadays, consumers want to interact with a brand that they can trust; a brand which will value them. Gone are the days of using pushy call-to-actions and robot-like approaches. The best way to get in the good books of a consumer is by starting a conversation with them.
Take Slack, for example. Slack are well-known for having a friendly and approachable tone of voice, which reflects in everything they do. As you can see below, their homepage is one of pure simplicity. It’s straight to the point, and most importantly, it’s casual.
By taking a casual approach within your emails, you will be reminding millennials that you’re there for them. You’re not just a business. This gives you an awesome chance to start a strong relationship with them, which will benefit you when it comes to future business opportunities.
3. It’s all about the visuals
The majority of millennials have grown up in a world of visuals. With so many more exciting ways to get your message across, you no longer have to rely on chunky pieces of text which would bore your audience to death.
It’s a known fact that millennials would rather watch a video than read a huge article, so if the content of your email could be better explained in a video or infographic, then grab the opportunity with both hands. Follow these pointers to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your visuals:
🖼️ Only use high-quality elements
🖼️ Use photos which are unique to your brand
🖼️ Test out a variety of content and find which fits your brand
🖼️ Don’t be afraid to give GIFs a go
4. Transparency is key
Millennials have been raised on the internet, meaning they can spot false advertising and fake personas almost instantly.
Due to this, it is very rare to come across a modern brand which doesn’t have transparency at the forefront of their minds. There’s no point looking through rose-tinted goggles when it comes to this situation, so be as transparent as possible with what you’re offering. Open up about your brand values; get your audience involved with the vision. Once again, your email will need to start a conversation with your consumer – not shut them out.
5. Optimise everything for mobile
Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices, and the DMA’s consumer email tracker report for 2019 found that 72% of people aged 18 to 34 used their smartphone as their primary device for email. It’s a no-brainer that your emails will need to be optimised for mobile browsing.
Take time when crafting your email templates, ensuring that all of the elements displayed are mobile-friendly. The last thing you want is for your consumers to open up an email and be presented with out-of-line or unavailable bits of content.
6. Mix up the schedules
An important aspect of email marketing is research. Researching into the behaviours of your target audience will help you to learn when they’re most active on emails. Once these schedules have been established, you’ll get a greater understanding as to when consumers will convert.
Targeting millennials with email marketing is no different, however, there’s no harm in straying away from your usual schedules. Millennials live busy lifestyles, and in their free time, they’ll be scrolling on social media rather than checking emails. With this in mind, try to mix up when you send your emails out, catching millennials at prime time.
Millennials are morning scrollers. They check their phones as they wake up, and this is when they’re most likely to check email, too. Try and get your email in their hands bright and early and you should have far more luck converting.
7. Win back what’s yours
If you’re running an ecommerce store, there’s absolutely no harm in utilising abandon cart reminders. Giving millennials a friendly nudge to continue with their purchase is a gateway to success, increasing open rates by 10%. Research by ClickZ found that 18-29 year olds are the best market to target with abandoned cart emails, as consumers of this age are more willing to make an instant purchase via their mobile.
8. Integrate with social channels
Emails may be the best form of communication for certain types of promotion, but alternative channels may be better suited for other queries. In order to further prove your awesome customer service skills, link to your well-performing social channels within the email. From here, customers can keep up to date with your activity and keep you at the forefront of their minds.
It’s time to get millennials listening
With these email marketing tweaks in mind, you’ll be well on your way to attracting profitable customers. Adapting your marketing techniques to suit modern audiences is an inevitable process for any digital marketing strategy, and email marketing is a great place to start.
