As reported by the National Retail Federation, more than 174 million Americans headed in-store and online to shop during Cyber Week 2017. In that five-day period, millennials spent on average $419 per shopper, more than any other generation. Millennials have the greatest spending potential this season, but they can also pose a serious challenge to many marketers headed into the holidays.
To start, they’re highly distracted: 95% admit to doing other things while shopping, from watching TV to working. Millennials are also likely to have Amazon-level expectations of what their shopping experience should be: immediate, convenient, and highly personalized. All of this—combined with the sheer amount of holiday messages they’ll receive on every channel and medium throughout the season—makes it that much harder for brands to compete and capture their attention.
That is, unless you start paying attention to what millennials want and plan accordingly: 70% percent say they’re annoyed by receiving emails that have nothing to do with their interests, and 74% of millennials also say they are frustrated with too many marketing communications, preferring 1-3 marketing emails per month. Instead of bombarding them with blanket messages that will most likely lead to unsubscribes and taking their business elsewhere, instead cash in by sending them quality promotions based on their unique interactions with your brand.
Here are the top 5 emails millennials want to receive this holiday season:
Price Drop Alerts on Previously Carted Items
Millennials identify as bargain shoppers more than any other shopper type out there, and 63% say they are influenced to shop during a retail sale or promotion—so when something they like goes on sale, they want to know about it. Many shoppers view their cart as a wishlist or as a placeholder to go back and buy later when there’s a better deal, so price drop notifications on these items are exactly what they’re looking for. Knowing about a sale on a product they care about will also keep them from purchasing it elsewhere.
Real-time Cart Abandonment Reminders
Yes, it’s what you’re thinking—the standard cart abandonment email. It’s standard because it works, and the hyper-distracted millennials of the world (who shift between media platforms up to 27 times an hour) are grateful. Make these emails perform more effectively by sending the reminder quickly—within one to four hours after abandonment. They’ll appreciate the timely reminder (which will also create a sense of urgency), and it’ll decrease the window of time they have to research/price-shop the next competitor.
Sales on Previously Browsed Categories/Products
With Cyber Week savings and never-ending sales through January, the entire season feeds the deal-hungry millennial shopper. Stand out by sending them sales notifications on the products they actually care about (ie. products and categories they previously browsed on your site). Highlighting a range of products/categories they’ve shown interest in within the email will increase their likelihood to buy at least one.
Product Recommendations Based on Interests
Still plan on sending batch and blast promotions during the holidays? You’re not alone, and while blast sends can work for some, there’s a way to make these emails better connect with millennials. Leverage the past browse and purchase data of your shoppers to deliver product recommendations within the email based on their unique interests. Product recs are the perfect supplement to your gift guide emails and a great way to move holiday inventory.
New Product Alerts Based on Interests
Along with a good deal, millennials value convenience—so asking them to click through a generic new products email and then find their favorites from a mass catalog of merchandise seems like a lot of effort. Instead, send new products based on the items, brands, and categories they’ve previously interacted with on your site. This will prove to millennial shoppers that you’re listening to their needs, and make sure they stick around well after the holiday season. After all, millennials who receive personalized communications have a 28% higher brand loyalty than those who do not.
Seventy percent of millennials say they’re comfortable with retailers tracking their purchasing and browsing behaviors if it means they’ll receive more relevant communications. Favor email quality over quantity this season. Tap into your customers’ interests and deliver a personalized shopping experience to make your holiday marketing count.
Michael Osborne is CEO of SmarterHQ