Email is the Most Popular Online Activity
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008People are still saying email is dead. Well I’m here to tell you that email is NOT dead, and in fact, is truly the Internets most dominant application. According to a recent survey from Mediamark Research & Intelligence, email is the most popular online activity. About three-quarters (74.2%) of U.S. adults are using email, up 5.2% from fall 2007.
Sure, with the introduction of social media we have other ways to communicate online, but social media actually complements email. How many times do you see an email address attached to a blog post, or how many times do you take a Twitter conversation to email so you can talk in over 140 characters? Once the initial contact or relationship is made via the social web, email then allows you to develop and build upon those relationships. Besides, social media is still making its way into the mainstream, while most people already have and use email addresses. Raise your hand if you check your email several times per day. That’s what I thought - you can all put them down now. Most business professionals are connected to email 24/7 via mobile devices allowing them anytime, anywhere access to email.
With the economy in its current state, many retailers are taking full advantage of email to reach customers with special incentives, and I know many consumers look forward to those emails for discounts and other news.
Other top Internet uses from the study include obtaining the latest news/current events (46%), paying bills online (39.6%), and making a purchase for personal use (37.2%). None of these even come close to email. Email is not dead, and is not going anywhere anytime soon.
*Source: MRI’s Fall 2008 and Fall 2007 Survey of the American Consumer

















