SocialNetworking 3.0

DECEMBER 15, 2008

They have no use for irrelevant messages, that’s for sure.

More than six out of 10 US high school and college students surveyed ‘never’ or ‘hardly ever’ read marketing e-mails, according to an October 2008 survey by eROI. The majority of respondents said companies were not effectively speaking to them personally through e-mail.

But e-mailing is hardly dead among students. Although texting was named as the favorite way to communicate by the largest percentage of respondents, e-mail was second, cited by 26% of students.

The report’s authors said, “E-mail plays an important role in college students’ life as a personal communication device, but not as a major marketing channel. Ultimately, marketers need to ensure their products are relevant and take the time to craft e-mails that truly speak to students.”

Two-thirds of students surveyed by eROI said they rarely or never took action after reading marketing e-mails.

An August 2008 study conducted by Harris Interactive for Alloy Media + Marketing confirms that the vast majority of college students still use e-mail. More than eight out of 10 respondents used it every day, unchanged from 2007.

Together, the studies point out that students have no problem with e-mail per se, but have no interest at all in irrelevant marketing messages.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006806