The Millennials, also known as Generation Y, embrace all things digital; these are people born between 1981 and 2000. If asked most people in this generation will say that their use of modern technology is what differentiates them from earlier generations. Technology has provided them with an endless source of information.
Even though Millennials use the internet more, a survey by Pew Research Center for MILLENNIALS A Portrait of Generation Next showed that there were no major differences among Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers regarding the number of emails sent and received in the 24 hours before the survey. However, Millennials were more likely to have tweeted, updated their online profiles, or sent text messages during that time.
Don’t be discouraged; people under the age of 31 are still utilizing email. If you understand how they are using email in connection with social media and text, you can increase your under 31 subscribers’ engagement greatly.
Crunching the Numbers
- 90% of Millennial use the internet or send and receive email at least occasionally
- Millennials are more likely than all other age groups to have a cell phone: 94% have one
- 88% of Millennials use their cell phones to send and/or receive text
- One-in-five Millennials (20%) have posted video of themselves online
- Three-fourths (75%) of Millennials have created a social networking profile
- Among Millennials, 65% say television and 59% cite the internet as their main source for news
By looking at these numbers, you can clearly understand how important it is to include social media in your email marketing. This lets subscribers easily share a deal by posting it on Facebook or tweeting it to their followers. If you can get a few Millennials to open and read your email, they are more likely than any other age group to share it on social networks and increase your brand’s reach.
Millennials are more than willing to signup for email campaigns; they are less concerned than older generations about spam or privacy. Since they have an endless supply of information available to them online, there has to be a compelling offer to entice them to share their email address or cell phone number. Early engagement campaigns should provide your newest subscribers with enticing deals or valuable information.
If your emails are irrelevant and untimely chances are your special offers and need to know information will be lost in a sea of emails, status updates, and tweets. Encouraging Millennials to interact with your brand across multiple platforms will allow you to collect data and better understand how to interact with this “always connected” generation.
Another number that stands out is the amount of Millennials that have a cell phone. If you haven’t done so already, it is extremely important to optimize your email for use on smartphones. Include links in your messaging only if the website has been optimized for mobile devices. Make it simple for users to subscribe to your mobile/email list using their phone. And ask a consumer if they prefer email or text, and use that information to correspond with them how they prefer.
This younger generation isn’t canceling their email accounts; they just have more channels to communicate through. As an increasing number of Millennials are reaching adult age it is going to be increasingly important for you to adapt to a new way of communicating in a timely cross-platform approach. Incorporating these changes now will allow you to build more meaningful relationships and extend your brand awareness with this new group of consumers.