How to Reach Gen Z Through Email Marketing

Brands have been looking for new ways to engage consumers outside of stores since long before the coronavirus arrived, but the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the push toward off-site engagement. Even as stores begin to reopen in states across the U.S., many consumers are reluctant to visit public spaces, and that shift in preferences may linger for years to come. 

Recognizing that trend, franchisors are looking for new ways to stay top of mind among consumers, particularly younger consumers who conduct more of their lives online. Traditionally, email marketing, a go-to strategy for brands hoping to get in front of customers without breaking the bank, has been considered less effective for members of Generation Z, but a new article in Entrepreneur suggests that thinking may not be correct.

With over 65 percent of marketers looking to increase their spending on marketing to Gen Z, you’ve got to know what channels to send that money to. You might think Gen Z only ever uses social media, and if you do, you’d be missing out on the 95 percent of Gen Zers who say email is essential to their lives. They use it to stay in touch with businesses and retailers, with large portions of them saying email marketing is an essential factor in their buying decisions.  

The article walks through a number of tips for tailoring email marketing to better engage with younger consumers. First, Entrepreneur says, keep it short. ”Gen Z prefers only a few sentences in their emails and a couple of images — otherwise, they’ll delete it quickly. Avoid writing a lengthy email that’s just blocks of text. They won’t read it and will unsubscribe ASAP.”

One benefit of marketing to Gen Z is that you can be a little more bold with your personalization. Where older generations may see attempts at personalization as an invasion of privacy, “Gen Zers know you have access to a lot of their online data, so don't be afraid to use it. Send them a coupon the day after they bought a new pair of shoes off your site. If you see that a particular segment always clicks on links about a certain topic, offer them additional resources about it. Look at what your readers do and adjust your campaigns accordingly.”

Entrepreneur also recommends enlisting the help of professionals. “Have a copywriter write compelling and engaging emails that aren’t the same tired messages Gen Zers are used to seeing. Skip the pushy sales messages, or risk putting them off. Use a web designer to create a modern, entertaining email that they’ll look forward to.”

Finally, make sure to send consumers what they want. 

Most Gen Zers want coupons, promos and special offers via email, and they will skip the company updates and links to blogs or other resources. They expect you to deliver updates elsewhere online, such as a social media channel, so keep your messages different for each channel. 

Read the full article at entrepreneur.com.