Earlier this year I asked the question on my blog, Is Email Going Extinct? My conclusion was that it is.
I’ve watched my behavior over the past few months, just to see if it was actually the case. So last week I caught myself deciding whether I should contact some of my networking pals via email or connect via social media outlets. I am sending less and less email. Typically, I am reserving email for those messages where I have to send attachments. Even then, I am quickly converting to directing people to documents on my box.net FTP sharing account.
I am beginning to trust that if I send someone a DM (direct message) on either Twitter or Facebook, they will respond. And they actually do. The ones that don’t are those who are not active on ANY of the networks. What I have found, though, is that I now have to make a decision on what social network I should connect. There are those who will only reply on Facebook (usually because they are not on Twitter at all). Others will only act on direct messages sent through Twitter. Then I have those that are messaging me on both Twitter and Facebook, sometimes on both within the same day. Interestingly, I receive (or send) very few direct messages through LinkedIn, except for invitation requests. On the other networks, I receive or send a minimum of a couple times per day.
Having to decide which network to use does complicate the message sending process. Email is email which makes it easier. But I think this points to an important trend in communications, particularly communications for marketing. We are much more conscious of how we connect with others. As well, spam and broadcast messages are considered bad etiquette in the social media world. Be annoying enough with it and you will be cut off quickly, easily, and usually permanently.
My prediction is that blast (and spam) email will begin to lose their appeal since it’s easier to ignore. I just hope that the social networks maintain their permission-based contact platform.
So, yes, email is still going extinct.
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Tags: email, Facebook, networking, Social Media, Social Media Strategies, social networking, Twitter
Leave A Reply (8 comments So Far)
Jenise Fryatt
666 days ago
Excellent points, Heidi. As you know, I avoid email as much as possible. But on rare occasions I find it’s the best way to communicate. Attachments are one of those occasions. Thanks for the tip on using file sharing sites.
I agree that, thanks to spam and e-mail blasts, the trend away from email is strong and will continue. People are fed-up with broadcast marketing and find invasive techniques such as telemarketing, junk snail mail, and spam particularly irritating. I can’t see how these methods can ever be worth the financial cost or the potential reputation damage.
Heidi Thorne
664 days ago
Jenise, you and I are experimenting with Google Wave. I do think it has potential as a strong alternative to email. I hope they simplify it to the point where everyone will feel comfortable using it. I’m certainly an active user of tech tools and I found it challenging to navigate at first. Hope that it will continue to break out of it’s beta mode as time goes on.
Though I’m sure the spammers and junk mail people will try to find a way to infect new collaborative tools, too, we have mechanisms for shutting them down quicker in the social media future.
Thanks for your support and comments!
Daryl Northrop
665 days ago
Great points in the article! For quick and informal contacts, social networking tools are great. But for in depth transmission of data that requires a detailed, ongoing conversation, email is indispensible.
My $0.02 worth!
Daryl Northrop
http://twitter.com/darylnorthrop
Heidi Thorne
664 days ago
Agreed! Detailed “threads” of conversation or collaboration do require a platform that allows for it. What Google Wave and other collaborative tools hope to eliminate is the emails that look something like this in the subject line: “Re: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Re:…” The emails threads become so unwieldy that you have to go several levels deep. Hope that Wave can make it more user friendly so that more people will begin using it as an email alternative.
Thanks for taking the time to weigh in!
Paul Cook
661 days ago
Hi Heidi
Yes I agree that e mail is best for sending attachments etc. One of my e mail accounts went down recently and it was good to be able to use Twitter and Linked In to keep in touch with people.
For me DMs really work and it helps keep a clear focus on what really needs to be said.
Heidi Thorne
659 days ago
You never really realize how much you rely on email until it is down! And luckily we now have alternatives when that happens.
I know you use DMs very effectively and as a great email alternative. Yes, it does help you focus… quickly!
Thanks for sharing your insight, as always!
April M. Williams
658 days ago
Heidi,
I cannot reach my adult children via email or phone though a Facebook message is likely to get a quick reply. I find when I communicate with others using the tools they prefer, I am more likely to get a response. Yes, this does take work and research to know the answers.
We do this with other areas of our life. When I take my young nieces out I select a place where they can be comfortable talking and walking around. When I go out to a restaurant with someone allergic to shellfish, we avoid seafood restaurants.
Bottom line? Consider your audience.
April M. Williams
Heidi Thorne
658 days ago
Isn’t is interesting that Facebook is the communication channel of choice! Yes, the golden rule of treat others as THEY want to be treated applies everywhere.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your insight!