Email Marketing Loses Effectiveness as Social Networking Surges

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Email Marketing Loses Effectiveness as Social Networking Surges

6:55 am on October 4, 2008 | Category: Web Services, Email

The rising growth of social networking websites, text and instant messaging, and other forms of mobile and online communication, are taking their toll on email usage and by extension, the effectiveness of email marketing, according to a recent study by JupiterResearch.

22% of email users say they often use social networking websites to communicate, in place of email, according to the study, which establishes a correlation between the growth of alternative communication platforms and the decline of email marketing conversion rates.

So far in 2008, 44% of internet users say that email inspired them to make at least one online purchase, down from 51% in 2007. 41% said they had made at least one offline purchase due to an email pitch, down from 47% last year.

“Consumers’ confidence in e-mail has become shaken by irrelevant communications and high message frequency, which are top drivers of subscribers’ churn and channel skepticism,” commented JuniperResearch vice president and author of the report, David Daniels. “People receive such a high volume of e-mail that they are unable to pay attention to every message. It is so important for marketers to be relevant and succinct when they send messages to consumers’ inboxes.”

“Marketers need to be aware that consumers are using other forms of communication and must ensure their strategy adapts to consumers’ changing behavior,” added JuniperResearch president, David Schatsky.