Email behavior in 2011
Many real estate pros rely on email as a primary marketing tool and we are hearing more people ask if Twitter is replacing email or hearing that email is outdated. In tech circles, there is a rising echo chamber proclaiming the death of email, so Microsoft (provider of the Outlook email product) commissioned a third party survey regarding email use in modern times asking 1,286 business professionals surveyed online their thoughts on email.
96% said that over the next five years, they expect email communication at work to increase or stay the same (and before you say the 4% is the kiddos, 92% of respondents aged 18-24 expect email to remain relevant). Survey results also revealed that 53% believe email is the most effective method of communication at work even over instant messaging and in-person meetings.
Microsoft summarized the results, noting that “People now regularly use multiple communication tools aside from email,” and “Integrating email with other communications tools is the wave of the future.”
Take a look back
Did you know email has been around for almost fifty years!? Or that email spam is twenty years old? We’ve come a long way. Check out the infographic below which was created by Microsoft, so it is weighted quite a bit toward their product, but it is an interesting timeline nonetheless.
Click to enlarge.
Matthew Ferrara
May 9, 2011 at 10:10 am
Actually, I disagree entirely. Email is on the way out. Comscore recently surveyed Y/Y usage of Webmail and except for Baby Boomers, all generations were down in email usage – with 12-17 year olds down 59%. But let's not argue over facts: How about just personal experience? How many of your readers (like me) spend time every morning UNSUBSCRIBING from junk mail (and just incessant and too-frequent mail from companies we do like) because email is becoming the avenue for "critical" communications only. Other venues – Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, QR codes, text marketing, etc- are becoming preferred ways to get "ads" from trusted companies. Email is definitely declining, if at the very least, in my own personal inbox.
Matthew Ferrara
Amanda Bomark
May 18, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Not if you are a professional in the business sector. Email communication is essential, and I increase my use of it constantly. I agree with this article in that I am also utilizing other tools. For the personal user, I can see how it might decline if you only use the email to stay in contact with people.