Is email really dying?

In the digital age, constant changes are being made to the way we communicate, with developments in video, apps and social platforms that provide people around the world a constant stream of communication at the touch of a button. With so many social platforms online, debates over whether email is still an effective or relevant channel of communication have surfaced.

Those who believe that email is a dying channel say that privacy and productivity are to blame. The amount of emails entering an inbox on a daily basis could reach thousands, an unapproachable number for anyone to sift through. This includes a hearty amount of junk mail and spam, meaning that risk factors are also on the rise. It is because of this problem that specific applications have been designed as an alternate to email. Another reason for the assumed ‘death of email’ is that the younger generation, the future business leaders, prefer communications via messaging apps to old school email and those in the ‘dying’ camp say that by the future generation will have no use for email amongst other, more efficient, platforms.

However, one of the main developments in communications is that we can do it on the go. Being mobile is one of the most important parts of the way we communicate, whether in a social or business setting. Luckily for the email community, the majority of mobile or tablet users can easily access email from these devices. Mobile apps have been specifically designed for email and, according to statistics, mobile makes up 70% of email opens, depending on your target audience. That means wherever there is a mobile device, email will be there, ready to receive.

When it comes to business, email is still the preferred channel of communication. Emails can be personalised to business use and are still an effective way that people communicate both internally and externally. It is also an extremely effect form of marketing. There are 4.35 billion email accounts in the world and this figure is predicted to reach 5.59 billion by 2019, providing huge scope for attracting customers. The most effective form of marketing communication is merging social media and email merge. Social media can be used to identify and connect with your target audience, establish their email address and import it to email marketing providers, enabling the brand to communicate directly with their target audience through multiple channels.

Although email may have some new competition in online communications, it is certainly not dead. Email remains an effective form of communication that provides a central platform for marketing. Keeping it mobile and using social media to target the right audience is key to its future.

Speak with GEM MEDIA about your e-mail marketing today. hi@gemmediamk.com