Gen Z is gradually but eventually taking over the consumer market.
But who is Gen Z and why is it the focus of marketers?
Born from 1995–2012 roughly, Generation Z (aka Zoomers) is the first generation to “zoom” through the internet. Unlike other generations, Gen Z has been online from the very start, earning them names like iGeneration, Gen Zers, internet generation, digital natives, native web users, and centennials.
With a spending power of $360 billion, and growing, the Gen Z audience is impossible to ignore. Moreover, their preference for email—65% want to hear from brands via email, and 60% find it the most personal channel—makes Zoomers a key demographic to include in your marketing strategy.
However, convincing the iGeneration with Gen Z email marketing isn’t as easy as ABC—it comes with a set of challenges.
5 Challenges Marketers Face With Gen Z
Challenge 1: They are more aware of ad blockers on mobile. Your customers might not see your online ads as they are blocking them.
Challenge 2: They hate clickbait-y headlines and end up unsubscribing or blocking you when they feel spammed.
Challenge 3: They are short on time and high on options, giving you a tough time grabbing their attention.
Challenge 4: They value their privacy and are reluctant to share unnecessary personal details—such as while signing up for an email newsletter.
Challenge 5: They prefer mobile-friendly options, so you are missing out on huge sales if your website is not mobile-optimized.
7 Tactics to Win Gen Z With Email Marketing
You might be confused about how to engage Gen Z with email campaigns.
Well, winning over Zoomers with emails is not about hitting send but creating experiences that feel the most personal, valuable, and engaging.
Here are the seven must-know tactics to craft engaging emails for the digital natives:
1. Understand Gen Z’s purchasing preferences
Knowing Zoomers’ buying preferences is the key to building an effective email marketing strategy.
Do you know that they prefer reading a brand’s newsletter before making any purchase? When asked what is likely or very likely to influence their buying decision, a newsletter said 37% of Gen Z consumers in the US. Thus, newsletters are one of the effective email marketing strategies to build your Gen Z audience.
They make unplanned purchases and do you know what triggers this impulse buying behavior in them, it is promotions. 43% of Gen Z shoppers worldwide said that sales and deals are the top reason for their impulse purchases online.
Moreover, Gen Z has a firm belief that “good things come to those who wait.” 🫡
You will be astonished if we tell you that this generation waits for discounts before they make online purchases. Yes, it is so. 66% of Zoomers across the globe expressed willingness to wait for prices to drop before buying.
This means you can hit the nail on the head by adding promotional and flash sale emails to your marketing strategy. So, what are you waiting for? Choose a discount email template you like and hit send to drive sales.
2. Make personalization and transparency a top priority
Gen Z isn’t shy about telling brands their preferences. But the question is—are brands all ears?
They crave content that fulfills their needs, addresses their pain points, and feels real. The more personal your email is, the more it resonates with your target audience—Gen Z.
Personalization is the key: address them with their name and send them product recommendations based on their behavior, preferences, and interests.
Moreover, Gen Z does not like being sugarcoated but values transparency. 91% of Zoomers rate authenticity as very or extremely important. If you want to win over this tech-savvy generation, be transparent about your offerings, and they will love you, I swear.
Zoomers consume content at the speed of light and unsubscribe without giving a second thought if something puts them off. So, add value to what you say and avoid sounding too pushy, as there is nothing they hate more than sales pitches and spammy tactics.
3. Grab attention with catchy copy and design
Gen Z’s attention span is around 8 seconds, the same as a goldfish’s. 😲
But which generation has the longest attention span?
The question is how to catch Gen Z’s eye in only eight seconds. With a bold copy and killer design, simple.
📝 Copy
Crafting email content that resonates with Gen Z is the key. Here’s what they love:
1️⃣ Clear and concise copy so that they get more info in less time.
2️⃣ Funny emails but thoughtful humor.
3️⃣ Emojis All. The. Time. as they convey the tone of the message. 😎
4️⃣ Slang words like Boujee/Bougie (for something fancy or luxurious), I’m baby (to describe yourself as a novice but in a cute way), etc.
5️⃣ Abbreviations such as “TTYL” (Talk to You Later), “IYKYK” (If You Know, You Know), etc.
6️⃣ Visual elements in emails such as GIFS, videos, and images that keep them hooked.
🎨 Design
To design an email specifically for Gen Z, you must focus on:
1️⃣ Color palette
👉 Older Zoomers like pastel colors such as powder pink or mint green.
👉 Young Zoomers prefer orange, maroon, olive, and shades of purple.
👉 The hit shade of Gen Z is yellow (sunny shade), giving tough competition to millennial pink.
2️⃣ Fonts that give them a dose of efficiency, like sharp fonts, but keep in mind that they look great on different digital platforms.
3️⃣ Design that should be digitally intuitive.
So, gear up to design email templates that speak Gen Z’s language and watch your engagement skyrocket!
4. Value Gen Z’s privacy
70% of Gen Zers believe that data privacy policies are important or critically important for maintaining brand loyalty.
These digital natives have grown up in the era of privacy scandals and data breaches. So, their privacy-conscious behavior makes sense.
To build their trust, be transparent about how your company collects and uses their personal details.
While crafting your email, make sure that it offers them easy access to your brand’s privacy policy and opt-out options.
5. Optimize for mobile devices
Meet Gen Z where they’re—on phones.
The mobile-first generation is more likely to engage with emails which are easy to navigate on smartphones. So, if your email is not mobile-optimized, you are alienating a major portion of your target audience.
It is crucial to design responsive emails, but make sure that:
1️⃣ Subject line fits any mobile screen.
2️⃣ Images do not look squashed or stretched on smartphones.
3️⃣ Links and buttons are easy to find.
4️⃣ Call to Action (CTA) is pretty loud.
If you are looking for a no-code email builder to design mobile-friendly templates, Unlayer Studio can be your best choice.
6. Nail the timing and frequency
Reach Gen Z when they are in their inbox.
Yes, you heard it right.
Gen Z usually checks emails during downtime, such as late evenings or weekends. So, schedule your emails accordingly to boost your engagement rate.
But how many emails are too many emails for Gen Z?
The less is more. Sending 1-2 emails in a week is an ideal approach. But if you keep flooding their inboxes, it will overwhelm Zoomers.
7. Include social proof
Gen Z is very smart, and you have to be even smarter to make them loyal customers.
68% of Gen Zers do not commit to any product until they read at least 3 customer reviews.
And do you think that it’s only the reviews that satisfy the Gen Z shoppers? No, it is not just the case.
According to Power Reviews, Zoomers (and all other generations) consider two components when reading reviews:
1️⃣ Review recency: How long ago were they published? For example, 44% of Zoomers go for alternative products if all the given reviews are more than 3 months old.
2️⃣ Review volume: The total reviews for a given product. So, little or no ratings impact their purchase likelihood. For example, 90% of Gen Z buyers are less likely to purchase if the product has no rating or reviews.
So, that pretty much explains why including reviews and testimonials is one of the best practices for marketing to Gen Z via email.
Conclusion
So, we are done with everything you need to know about Gen Z email marketing.
As a young millennial, I will suggest you crack the code and stay away from Zoomers’ “Delete It” club. 😜
