A recent article and chart published by MarketingSherpa demonstrate that, contrary to popular belief, social media is not going to eliminate our dependence upon email. “When consumers want to share something from the Internet with their friends or family, such as a video, link or article, what methods do they use?” the article asks. “While social media is gaining ground on email, the latter still dominates as a sharing tool.”
From its opt-in functionality to its now long-term presence as a preferred form of communication, email is the veteran in the online communication world when compared to social and mobile media. It can also be partnered with these new forms to increase awareness, deliver relevant content and build databases.
The chart below illustrates the results of a MarketingSherpa survey on this very topic. When asked how they share news or information with others, 78 percent of respondents identified emailing a link as their most likely action.
“When we look at media use over the last 15 years, we see a pattern of aggregation and adoption rather than replacement,” MarketingSherpa reports. “Some media suffer in the exchange, but none are eliminated entirely. More commonly, their uses become more refined.”
At Austin & Williams, our recommended practice is to offer multiple ways of sharing, using both email and social network outlets, to get the best viral sharing outcome.