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As an email developer at Response Labs, my job is comprised of two main parts: email development and watching industry trends. The latter part actually contains two elements, the first being watching for new coding techniques and trends as email service providers slowly adopt more web standards, and the second is watching for changing trends in how current and new generations of consumers consume email. This is what led me to the article on Campaign Monitor’s blog titled “The Ultimate Guide to Marketing to Gen Z in 2019.”
Campaign Monitor is a huge resource for me as a developer, and their data-driven analysis of email trends means I can rely on their information and use it to shape the email programs for my clients. Their latest guide for Gen Z is yet another great piece of information that will give me ideas for helping my clients reach this complex generation of consumers.
According to the article, Gen Z is the generation of consumers born after 1995. They have an 8-second attention span that is a result of a sophisticated filter they developed because they’ve spent their entire lives with access to the internet and are more likely to connect with brands on social media than any other platform.
However, that doesn’t mean this generation doesn’t use email. In fact, it’s the opposite. A massive 81% of the respondents said they check email daily, and 58% said they check their emails multiple times a day. That means to me that email is still a great way to reach this generation. Where the nuances come in is the type of emails they want. To quote the article directly:
“82.3% of respondents claim they prefer to receive promos and special discounts through their email while 44.3% want product recommendations, 26.6% want company updates, and only 20.3% want links to blogs or resources.”
So, it is possible to lure this generation in with email promotions, though 36% claim they’ve never made a purchase as direct result of an email. But the fact that they want a discount means that your email can influence their buying decisions. Especially when you consider that 78% said they want to hear from brands at least once a week, and 59% were okay with hearing from brands a couple times a week. While they may not buy as a result of an email, their tolerance for multiple touches a week means that you can influence this generation to buy as long as you stay top of mind. Allow them to dictate the number of times they hear from you with an email preference center, and you’ll not only stay top of mind, but you’ll also retain more of these consumers on your email list.
