Social networking sites attract users of all ages, and many people rely on this platform to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. Due to this trend in online communication, some may wonder what impact these sites will have on traditional email correspondence. Regardless of recent reports noting a decline in web-based email usage, email continues to be the top choice for marketing communications among all ages.
According to research conducted by Merkle, 87 percent of users on the Internet checked their personal emails on a daily basis last year. Among those people who had a separate account for commercial purposes, 60 percent checked that account everyday. Although many may believe social networking sites are drawing users away from email, social media participants are actually checking their email four or more times per day.
Some evidence is still out there that personal communication via email is declining. However, more users are depending on email for commercial usages. Additionally, the vast majority of users still rely on email accounts as a primary communication channel online. The only age group more engaged in social media was 18-29 year olds.
