Editorial Articles

In the technology industry, we focus on the next big thing.

First came computers, which were going to make paper obsolete. Then Internet shopping, which was going to replace going to a shop. Then email came, which threatened to replace letters.

Now it’s mobile and social. What will they replace? Television? Email? Marketing as we know it?

No.

We need to consider how changes in technology can open up opportunities and transform how we interact with consumers. However, we must guard against assuming that the next big thing will replace the things we know.

We are witnessing this with the digital-marketing trifecta of social media, mobile and email. Instead of cannibalising one another, they are fuelling one another.

One example is how social networks rely on email and text-message updates to send alerts. They keep people coming back and drive adoption.

This leaves the question: Doesn't the increase in email use result from the increase in emails sent as alerts from social networks?

Recently, I directed research that surveyed more than 2,300 consumers about their media habits. We asked respondents how their use of media channels had changed in the prior six-month period.

As the chart to the left (Fig.1) highlights, 44% of people using social networks more also use email more, suggesting that social media is driving some increase in email use.

However, the 22% of people who never use social networks reporting increased email use suggest that this increase is attributed to more than social media.

Our study found these reasons for the rising email use:

1. People are calling less
As all forms of digital communication increase, people are calling each other less. As the pace of communication increases, the pleasantries required of a phone call are too cumbersome. So, at work, we email. We text our friends. If we need to communicate with larger audiences, we post updates to Facebook or Twitter.

2. Smartphones are fuelling an email revival
The Blackberry's success came from professionals needing access to email while on the go. The successes of iPhone and Android phones are fuelling increased email use among younger groups whose email use had declined.

Mobile email is appealing to young people because it untethers them from computers. Moreover, there is the perception that email is cheaper, since it comes "free" with mobile data plans.

3. Companies are promoting email
As companies promote paperless statements to reduce expenses, investments in email programmes are increasing. When consumers are asked which channel they prefer receiving direct-marketing communications, the majority choose email.

Customers Want a Choice
Managing all three channels together comes down to two rules:
 

• Consider the strengths, weaknesses, and cultures surrounding each channel.
• Give consumers a choice.

Choice isn’t limited to preference centers - it can be a matter of self-selection. Consider these examples:

• Offer consumers the option of getting more information about a service or product through an SMS short code. When a user texts in for information, you can prompt the user for an email address to send a coupon.
• For purchases, give consumers the choice of getting deals via email, text, or Twitter direct-message.
• Use confirmation emails as a tool for driving product reviews.
• Add functionality to your emails that allows your content to be shared on social networks. This allows your current customers to introduce you to their friends, helps you reach a broader audience, and can help drive email subscriptions.

Our challenge is to ensure that marketing programmes are tightly integrated across channels. Your consumers don't live in channel silos. As we strive to engage in one-to-one dialogue, we can't live in them, either.

Morgan Stewart
Director of Research and Strategy, Exact Target