While Millennials do use email -- try signing up for a social media account without an email address -- they just use it differently than their forebears. In fact, email is Millennials' preferred method of engaging with brands and receiving marketing messages. But when it comes to communicating and collaborating, younger generations are more comfortable using messaging apps.

With the new year just around the corner, it's time to identify your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and set yourself appropriate, achievable and measurable targets for your email marketing campaigns this coming year.

Email is relatively easy to manage, it has a straightforward goal, and overall, it's one of the highest-ROI marketing strategies in existence, with some estimates as high as 400%. However, as any email marketer will tell you, email still offers its share of headaches. Fortunately, there are tons of tricks and hacks you can use to make your job as an email marketer easier.

If you're struggling to get your emails read by potential customers, you might need to try a different tactic to ensure that you're properly targeting your audience. You also need to make sure you are giving them content they need to not only read your emails but also to click the links in them to take action. A/B testing is one way you can determine exactly what your email subscribers want.

"Email marketing isn't new by any stretch, but lately, I feel like it's fallen out of favor among marketers who are looking for the "latest and greatest." That's a mistake, as studies consistently prove email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies out there."

The European Court of Justice has ruled against the UK government following a legal challenge over data retention. EU judges said communications data could only be retained if it was used to fight serious crime. The legal challenge was initially championed by Brexit Secretary David Davis, who was then a backbench Conservative MP.

Considered an emerging technology as recently as a few years ago, estimates are that more than half (59%) of Fortune 500 companies now use marketing automation along with nearly all (95%) of SAAS-based companies. Yet many of those who have implemented marketing automation are struggling to use it to improve overall marketing performance.

The focus for 2017 needs to be optimising from the ground up. Brands need to reduce their focus on the next shiny thing and evaluate whether the basics are still fit for purpose, such as welcome journeys, basket abandonment and transactional emails. The latest DMA Consumer Tracker report reveals that consumers respond well to brands that get the basics right.

2016 has been a big year for email marketing. It ranked as one of the top three traffic drivers on Black Friday, and the DMA's recent consumer email tracking study highlights that consumers are in fact interested in receiving emails in their inbox. The email marketing channel shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. In 2017, we can expect another exciting year for email.

"As many of us in the B2B world know, marketing automation has been on the lips of many marketers for years. In fact, 2016 has seen the highest number of businesses expand from email marketing to marketing automation. Yet, reports indicate that marketing automation is still not being used to its full potential. With this in mind, we expect a number of trends to occur in 2017."