This post was originally written by Omer Navaid, Online Marketing Specialist at Apartments.com
In this day and age, technology has given us a plethora of communication channels at our disposal – both in our personal lives and in the business world. From the staggering popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, to the now commonplace practice of text messaging due to the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones. These days, it sometimes seems like a technology that’s as old as email would no longer be relevant to us as marketers and as people.
Not so fast! In a recent study done by Exact Target, they found email is still the #1 preferred method of communication for both personal and marketing messages. But, not surprisingly, email has dropped 21% as a preferred method of personal communication since 2008 – making way for the other channels like social media and text messaging, which grew 10% and 20% respectively. For a growing number of folks, it’s much easier to send their friend a quick Facebook message or tweet, rather than having to log into their email account to search for (or remember) that friend’s email address.
However, when looking at preferences for permission-based communication (opt-in marketing); email has actually grown 5% and is the overwhelmingly preferred method of communication consumers chose. Astonishingly, 77% of consumers in the study still prefer to receive marketing messages via email over any other channel. This can also be seen with the advent of e-coupon businesses like Groupon and Living Social, which have certainly breathed new life into the email marketing channel.
This is of course encouraging news for email marketers and goes to show that one channel’s rise does not necessarily signify another’s demise. Organizations like Exact Target, who have built their name on email marketing, are now moving toward solutions that integrate social and mobile with email marketing. These different methods of communication can now work in tandem, creating a multi-channel synergy that the savviest marketers can use to their benefit.
Have you noticed a trend in your residents’ preferred method of contact? Does it seem like email still prevails at your community?
