Does Email Work For Generation Z?
- Are you wondering if email still is worth the time?
- Do you feel like you should be focusing on other digital platforms instead?
opens IMAGE file Email marketing has been a strong force so far, even when skeptics tried to say that it would die off years ago. Email is a reference point for consumer’s accounts, required for social media platforms and thus still serves as a great medium for targeted marketing efforts – it ties together
other digital arenas like social media, blogs, and videos and is the common thread. Yet as we look to the horizon, we see a population of young people who are starting to make buying decisions and will shape the future of marketing. Generation Z is now a huge focus for marketers who want to stay on the forefront of advertising trends.
Email works well for other generations, but what about this newly emerging one?
Surely the “kids these days” are attracted to the new shiny objects that pop up every day. Yet, a recent study by the University of Southern California found that teenagers reply to an email within 13 minutes on average, faster than any other age group. The researchers looked at 16 billion emails exchanged among 2 million people over the course of a few months and found that 90 percent of people reply to emails they day they receive them. Young people will be decision-making consumers in just a few years and will continue to go back to email as a reliable source of digital communication.
So, how do you go about reaching Generation Z that is coming into buying power? Their world is vastly different from the world of the Baby Boomers and even generations X & Y.
Be of Value. Younger generations are digitally savvy. They have interacted with digital media for most of their lives and they know when there’s a flimsy offer on the table. They can see right past your “fluffy” free resources that really don’t offer anything.
Build Loyalty. Again, younger generations can see right through you, so make sure you offer up something of true value and you’ll have a customer for life.
Use Media. Generation Z loves digital media and is constantly immersed in Instagram and YouTube celebrities. They want to interact with the digital message.
Tell Stories With Advertising. Generation Z loves to be part of the brand’s story and make their own mark. That’s why Converse’s “Made by you” campaign aimed to appeal to Generation Z so well. It emphasizes personalizing white sneakers with paint, stencils, and jewels.
Think Mobile. Think beyond just one type of advertising and consider how IP address targeting coupled with mobile device ID data can make your advertising more focused and reach younger adults in an effective manner. Email marketing goes beyond the inbox by pairing email retargeting with mobile device ID’s and more.
At Data-Dynamix, we know there are countless ways to target audiences with email campaigns, from the artwork to the copy, to the subject lines, to the audience you target. The statistics demonstrate that young people are paying attention to email and are exciting because it means that our media partners and clients can continue doing what they’re already doing effectively. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but instead, make minor adjustments to cater to this emerging generation.
Based on these stats, we can say with full confidence that email marketing is not going to be going anywhere!