Media research company Nielsen recently set out to prove that social media use put a significant dent into email use. They believed that the more time people spent on social networks, the less time they were likely to spend using email.

However, the subsequent research revealed that the opposite occurs: the people consuming the largest amount of social media are also the people consuming the largest amount of email.

It makes sense, really. We often get our social media updates through our email anyway, via notifications. It’s also quite possibly the case that people who use social media more are on their computer more – and therefore more likely to use their email too.

It does appear that an increase in one communication channel correlates with the other.

For some time on-line commentators have been suggesting that emails will die out as social networking takes over. They argue that the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Bebo offer a more immediate form of communication and that emails are old-hat. But surely the email system is still an extremely useful tool, and one that is used by the widest range of on-line communicators?

Indeed, e-mail is universal – and let’s face it, social networks are not. Nearly everyone on the web has an email address. Many places of employment give staff an email address when they begin working there (in fact many companies ban the use of social networking in work time). The majority of websites also require an email address for registration purposes.

The fact is, too, that e-mail notifies you of updates from all social networks you are a part of. So it’s a useful tool and part of the social networking phenomenon. Even social networks themselves recognise the importance of email.  MySpace has even launched its own email service recently.

 Email is also still improving in terms of innovation and integration with social media. Take a look at Gmail and Yahoo Mail for ways in which e-mail has advanced.

Companies, too, still see email as a vital marketing tool. Many have not yet decided which social media strategy suits their needs, whereas email is easily useable and definable.

And since some people still like to write letters and send via snail mail (they have done for centuries!)  it doesn’t seem likely that the electronic version of this will die out any time soon.

Speak to WebCreation UK today about our great web design packages which all include free email accounts.

Media research company Nielsen recently set out to prove that social media use put a significant dent into email use. They believed that the more time people spent on social networks, the less time they were likely to spend using email.

However, the subsequent research revealed that the opposite occurs: the people consuming the largest amount of social media are also the people consuming the largest amount of email.

It makes sense, really. We often get our social media updates through our email anyway, via notifications. It’s also quite possibly the case that people who use social media more are on their computer more – and therefore more likely to use their email too.

It does appear that an increase in one communication channel correlates with the other.

A new e-marketing report has revealed the 10 most “marketing friendly” words used in the subject lines of emails. According to MailerMailer, an email list manager provider, the top 10 words most likely to get recipients to open an email are:
1. news
2. party
3. newsletter
4. free
5. night
6. sale
7. com
8. update
9. holiday
10. week

MailerMailer also claims that emails are being opened sooner than six months ago. They reckon that just over 32% of all emails are opened within the first two hours of receipt compared to 29.6% half a year earlier.
What we don’t know, however, is the breadth of this survey. Does anyone have any email marketing-friendly words they would like to add?