Mail, the Wrong Way to Market to Millennials

Are you and/or your company sending out mass mailings to Millennials (people between 18 and 30) hoping for our business? If so, stop the printing and the stamp licking because you're wasting your time (and ours!). Ouch!

As I sorted through a pile of mail today I remembered a brief conversation I had with my mother-in-law last week. She told me she found out about a financial service from a mailer she received which prompted me to ask her, "Do you actually open all the mail you get?" She replied as if completely shocked by my question, "I open everything that gets put in my mailbox." Hummmm...I thought. Very interesting and very opposite of me and my generation. Of the numerous pieces of mail I receive each day, I open maybe 2 pieces (but mostly just so they'll fit in my shredder!). This got me thinking about the millennial generation and why we don't like mail. I have come up with several reasons:

1. It's not personal enough. Unless it's a note from a friend (doubtful because they prefer texting or myspace messages) or a card from grandma containing potential cash, we're not interested or intrigued (or tricked) by all of those mailers that claim to be personal. I especially love the ones that say things like "Mrs. Cates we have a special offer just for you!" in press-printed cursive writing.
2. It makes my recycling bin overflow! And that's not really the big deal, the big deal is the amount of mail people are NOT recycling that is making our landfills overflow.
3. My cheap shredder won't cut it! I bought the cheapest shredder Office Depot had and have already killed it with all of my mail shredding. I didn't have the patience to stick one pice of paper in at a time, so I often jammed it up pretty good. Looks like I'm going to have to save up for a super-dooper, high dollar shredder.
3. It's time consuming!In the time it takes to sort through and shred my mail I could have sent two text messages, ordered a latte at Starbucks or reorganized my desk drawer. And mail sorting is not conducive to multi-tasking either because it takes both hands. I'm going to have to work on that one!
4. We have enough credit cardsNinety nine percent of the mail I get is for another credit card and believe me, Millennials have enough of those already! Did you know that we have on average six credit cards? We don't need to get into this now because I can see the hair standing up on the back of your neck. Our generation gets bashed enough, so I'll move on.
5. Where's the free stuff? I'm not talking about coupons for 20% off or a special 2-for-1 deal, I'm talking about something FREE!! I recently got a mailer from a local grocery store offering a free book for stopping in! Now that's what I'm talking about! Those mailers do not get shredded! We millennials LOVE free stuff. But only cool free stuff (doesn't everyone?)

So here's the message plain and simple: if you're targeting Boomers and Xers alike, mailers will probably work. If you want to reach my generation, opt for free stuff via mail or a website and Google optimization!!