Trying to Reach Millennials and Gen Z Through Social Media? Think Again.

One common misconception is that social media use amongst millennials and Gen Z is at an all-time high; in fact, usage is declining. This isn’t a joke. Findings from The Social Habit 2019 study have found that Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn usage have all dropped between 2-17 percent. It’s probably not much of a surprise, but the only social networks yet to suffer are Snapchat and Instagram, the sole network that has grown from 64% usage in 2017 to 66% in 2019.

What would have likely once been good news for email marketers is now confounding, and a bit terrifying. For years now, social media has been a crutch for all digital marketing campaigns. Without it, it becomes more difficult to earn loyalty and valuable interactions.

One of the most important ways to retain and gain loyal subscribers is to go above and beyond to optimize their email marketing experience. With fewer channels to communicate through, it’s important to give customers a memorable and impacting experience the first time you connect. Mobile-friendliness is key. If your emails don’t render properly across all mobile devices, you will quickly lose subscribers despite your great content and offers.

Email also has the benefit of being highly customizable. Unlike the inherent restrictions that social media platforms have, email marketers have a large canvas at their disposal that has the capability to support many different functions. Avoid sending ugly, stagnant messages, especially to younger audiences that have grown up in the digital era. You can also take advantage of content that does well on social media like GIFs, emojis, and memes and integrate them into your emails.

Some other important traits of good email marketing that will capture and retain young subscribers are transparency, honesty, and authenticity. Social media is a notorious breeding ground for dishonest content, whether it’s legitimately fake news or photo-shopped content. At its best, email marketing is one of the easiest ways for brands to present their true values, beliefs, and creativity. Stand out in a crowded inbox with content that is personalized, tailored for your subscribers, and undeniably your brand.

It’s important to remember that your content has to be good to succeed in digital marketing, no matter the channel. To reach your millennial and Gen Z subscribers via their inbox, ensure every touch-point is worthy of keeping their attention.

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