E-mails are so old school, at least to many of today’s teens and college students. A recent survey conducted by eROI found that more than 6 out of 10 people in these groups say they hardly ever read e-mail messages sent by marketers. Perhaps the main reason for dismissing e-mail is that many of those surveyed said marketers do not effectively talk with them on a personal level. Text messaging has overtaken e-mail as the preferred communication mode of high school and college students in the U.S., with 37% of students surveyed indicating texting as their preferred communication mode. E-mail is not exactly dead yet as 26% of students surveyed preferring e-mail communications.
This trend poses significant challenges to marketers trying to reach this important but elusive demographic. Mobile marketing is an emerging area, much like e-mail was 10 years ago. Creating permission-based mobile marketing programs that maintain relevance with young people should be the focus. If marketers think only in terms of using mobile marketing to stimulate sales, it is likely that their audience will see through those efforts and grow tired of them quickly. Wireless devices hold great potential as a marketing tool because they provide a 24/7 connection to sustain brand relationships with customers.
Link: eMarketer – “Have Students Graduated from E-Mail?”
