Email Communication Still Rules - SEM Services

The Wall Street Journal had an article yesterday “Why Email No Longer Rules ” about the slow demise of email, which is giving way to text messages, Facebook, Twitter and other communication channels.


But is that true? I think not. The article states, “In August 2009, 276.9 million people used email across the U.S., several European countries, Australia and Brazil, according to Nielsen Co., up 21% from 229.2 million in August 2008.” A 21% increase seems to me that email does still rule, even if other channels are increasing their share of traffic.

This isn’t a horse race with only one winner. What is happening and will continue to happen is that people and companies will begin to segment their messages and target audiences by communications channel. You may make a new business connection using a 140-character Tweet, but it’s likely that you will build the relationship with a deeper discourse that email – and the old-fashioned letter – allows.

Also, there will always be an element of the consuming public, possibly your target audience, that isn’t jumping on the social media bandwagon, at least not now. They don’t want to be force fed with small bites of Tweets. They will stick with old-fashioned email, thank you.

So let’s not count email out yet. Remember, the pundits predicted the demise of direct mail with the emergence of the Internet yet we’re all receiving more catalogs than ever before. Companies like L.L. Bean and Chico’s know that relaxing in your easy chair while thumbing through pages rich in color and photographs still holds a lot of appeal. Not that these companies expect you to fill out the tip-in order form. Their purpose for sending the catalogs has changed: they have learned that after browsing and earmarking pages, you will go to your computer to place an order online. See, you can teach old dogs new tricks, but don’t count out what’s working well, like email and catalogs, just yet.
Source: http://writespeaksell.com/2009/10/email-communication-still-rules/