So You Want To Email Market To Millennials?

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Key takeaways

• Don’t assume social only. Millennials spend as much time, if not more, in email as on social media, so email marketing still matters.
• Make emails feel exclusive: offer value they can’t get elsewhere (exclusive tips, discounts, tools or access).
• Always include a clear call to action or next step, engage millennials and make them the ‘hero’ of the campaign.
• Be authentic and straightforward, avoid jargon or hard-sell pitches, explain what you’re offering, why and the mutual benefit.
• Optimize emails for mobile and desktop: design for quick consumption and big CTA buttons so readers can act wherever they are.

Introduction

Millennials are a misunderstood yet seriously sought-after demographic in the marketing world. Every digital marketer longs to attract millennials since they’re the largest living generation with such tech-driven nature. Still, there’s something entirely different about Gen Y that makes appealing to them a notoriously difficult task.

“Millennials are eschewing the old way of doing things: they don’t click on banner ads, buy print magazines, read snail mail or watch traditional network television. It begs the question: Is going viral on Snapchat the only way to reach millennials?” asks Antoniya Koleva Zorluer from Business2Community.

Although this is one way to garner engagement from millennials, it’s not the only way to effectively connect with them. Although most of these 20-something year-olds are captivated by social media, it isn’t their only digital focus. In fact, millennials spend just as much time, if not more, diving into their email inbox each day.

If you’re interested in email marketing and looking to market to millennials, don’t assume that simply sending messages is going to have any impact. Engagement with the Gen Y group requires much more tact and depth if you truly want to resonate with them.

So what do you need to do to make your relevant recipients open, read and react to your emails? Check out this quick list of the best ways to appeal to the younger demographic.

Practice Exclusive Marketing

If you want millennials to get excited about what you’re offering, you need to demonstrate the exclusivity of your emails. The benefits, prizes or information you’re extending to them should seem exclusive to only them and only through receiving that email. Millennials already know how to take care of themselves in the digital realm, so why should they listen to you?

“To win with millennial email marketing, be sure you’re providing value that they can’t get anywhere else. Make them feel special by sharing exclusive tips, tricks, tools, discounts or information only via email,” Zorluer recommends. “Give them an opportunity to ask a question to your CEO directly via email. Give them an edge others won’t have.”

Inspire Calls to Action

Millennials are known for being influential, creative and are seriously creative as a generation. They like to be engaged and act in a way that makes them feel like they’re contributing to the creation of something bigger than themselves.

“The most successful millennial marketing campaigns are similar in that they engage Millennials and make them the hero of the campaign. In your emails to millennials, always think about engagement,” Zorluer says. “If an email has no call to action, question or follow-up, it won’t be efficient with this generation. Send every email with an idea in mind for what the next step is for the Millennial who reads it.”

Stay Authentic

The most important rule of engagement when it comes to millennials is to stay authentic with your email content. 

Don’t try to grease them up with fancy jargon or complicated sales pitches — they’ll see right through it. Instead, be upfront and tell them what you’re offering, why you’re offering it and how it benefits you both. Chances are, they’ll appreciate your honesty and this can build strong loyalty ties.

Optimize For Mobile Devices

These days, there aren’t too many millennials out there without a cellphone. Because of this, it’s crucial for customer retention and optimal engagement to make sure your emails work on all devices.

“Make sure your emails look as good on an iPhone as on desktop. Create emails that can be consumed quickly, on any device, and make it easy for them to take action wherever they are (yes, this means big call to action buttons in email),” Zorluer says.

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