One in three consumers has a separate email account for marketing messages

People are increasingly looking to separate marketing messages from their other emails by having them sent to a separate account.

According to a new survey of consumer email habits from Yes Lifecycle Marketing, 36 percent have opened separate email accounts solely for brand communication. For millennials that number jumps to more than half (58 percent).

While you might assume this would be bad news for marketers, the findings show that those with separate marketing accounts check in more frequently for promotions compared to consumers who only use one primary account. Which suggests that consumers want promotions but don't want to clog up their personal inboxes.

Among other findings are that almost half of Millennials (47 percent) have made three or more purchases by email recently, twice as many as Centennials (those aged under 21). The most popular times and places for consumers to check their email for brand promotions are at home in the morning (32 percent) and evening (31 percent), but a quarter of all shoppers also look for the messages throughout the day.

Centennials check email more than other generations while on the go, including while commuting (six percent) and in situations where they want to pass the time, such as waiting in line (14 percent).

The report's authors conclude, "Millennials are your brand’s most loyal shoppers, despite the myth that these consumers are fickle. To keep them around, brands must offer special perks in exchange for loyalty, and personalize all interactions. When communicating, use email as your main content hub because these shoppers value email more than any other generation, but make sure all channels are aligned and consistent."

You can find out more in the full report A Marketer's Guide to Reaching Each Consumer Generation on the Yes website.

Image Credit: Laurent Renault / Shutterstock