“Millennial” – It’s the buzzword for marketers. As per Google Trends, the word ‘Millennial’ has picked up traction since January 2016.

There is a high chance that even you click-baited when you read the headline and wanted to know more.

But Why Millennials?

Marketing, in general, is dependent on how well you have defined your customer persona, which is built after a close analysis of the demographics your customers belong to. Millennials pose a challenge in this case as they are a combination of different types of demographics. Right from working individuals to businessmen and startup partners to those freshly out of college ready to experience the world first hand, all are Millennials. In fact, 25% of the U.S population is Millennials.

As per a research, millennials make up 21% of consumer purchases, which is estimated over a trillion dollars of buying power. So it’s very important for brands to expand their reach to cover millennials and which marketing channel has the highest reach other than emails?! But commit the mistake of considering them just a part of your emailing list, and you shall lose the count of unsubscribes you may get.

With that in mind, here are some useful tips on how to make millennials fall in love with your emails.

Being Responsive

As per a study, 63% millennials shop on their smartphones every day. So it is very important for your emails to be responsive. Nothing spells disaster like a broken email layout where your subscriber needs to scroll across their screens to read the entire email.

( Image is for representation purposes only )

Less Read and More Visual

In the world of 140 chars and Snapchat videos, people now want information short and crisp. People rather skip the text and focus on the image. So make sure your emails are not paragraphs of text. Provide information in short bursts. Get creative with text formatting to draw attention to certain keywords. Use images and animated GIFs to convey the message of your email.

Moreover, be creative in crafting your subject lines and preview text, so that your subscribers get your message even before opening your email. Use of emojis in the subject line is also a popular trend.

Dazzle Them with the Unexpected

Anything out of the blue is always eye-catching. Ditch the standard design that your subscribers are accustomed to and surprise them with some interactivity or an embedded video.

Penguin Random House designed a scrollable email where the bus is a static element and the background changes.

Email on Acid created a bicycle lock in their email.

Taco Bell’s email is molded as a conversation between two buddies.

Even if you don’t include any interactive elements, you can still experiment with the email layout to create interesting emails. J crew’s summer announcement email was a tall scoop of ice cream where the CTA button was visible in the footer when you scroll till the end.

Humor Builds Bridges

Though it contradicts to our earlier statement, a good and humorous email copy can be a really good end user experience. Humor is an emotion that registers quickly and helps you create a foundation for lasting relation. In fact, 80% of millennials want the brands to entertain them.

Brands such as Really Good Emails and phrasee have emails with witty subject lines and a competing email copy.

(The subject line of this email is “Do you even uplift, bro?)

Loyalty Can’t Be Bought

Millennials don’t want to be associated with a brand for the name only. Millennials value brands that in a way improve their lives. According to Hubspot, 84% of consumers research online, and 70% read online reviews before buying online. Learn what your subscriber wants and make sure your emails provide the same. Stay away from using false and luring subject lines or misguiding offers & promotions. Offer loyalty rewards to your customers who have been associated with your brands.

Personalize Beyond the First Name

Imagine your email campaign to be a party and your subscribers as the party attendees. Each email is like a conversation you have with them. No one would want to talk to someone who doesn’t even know their name. But in this era of hyper-personalization, just referring your customers by the first name doesn’t cut it anymore. People want customized and tailored information in exchange for their personal details.

So segment your list. Suggest recommendations based on their purchase history. Learn their preferences and treat your subscribers like people instead of faceless names on an emailing list.

Ask for Feedback

Millennials like to be vocal. As per a research, 70% millennials feel a responsibility to share feedback with companies after a good or bad experience. So integrate a feedback form in your email or redirect them to a landing page where the subscribers can give feedback. This is a win-win, as based on the feedbacks received, brands can make necessary changes to their marketing strategies.

Wrapping Up

Millennials are stereotyped to be picky and never tend to stick to anything for a long stretch of time, but on the contrary, once you succeed in building (and retaining) their loyalty, the buying power of millennials is an easy resource to tap into. And the stepping stone to a good relationship is to provide a good customer experience and based on the above suggestions, your emails can be fruitful to cater that.