If I say the word “email” what comes to mind?
Studies show that as of today, 90 percent of all email sent is SPAM related. Scary. Yet can you imagine not having an email address? When you meet someone, isn’t your email address almost as important as a phone number?
Email still works today. But what about tomorrow?
Colleges are shutting down their email programs because students never check email. When professors or administration would send out notices to students, most of their email goes unanswered. Why? Because students use social media and smart technology way more than adults do. Why bother with something that predominately has things you have no desire to receive, read, or use?
What should you use instead? Go with the masses. Which means Facebook.
Facebook is the second largest search engine, has well over 300 million active users, and has more time spent on average by a user than any other site. When someone receives a notice in their Facebook account, via wall, “email” or through groups, they read and take notice.
How about other technology?
Let’s talk Kindle and Nook and iPad – they allow you to instantly receive new subscriptions to the information you truly want. It’s easy to set up a Kindle subscription to your blog posts (take a look at mine for my photography niche), or create an app for the iPad very easily.
Have a podcast, either video or audio, in which you promote your business by handing out tips? ITunes allows you to have instant access to podcasts – and people will gladly use iTunes to sort and house the information they truly use.
If you send RSS through your blog, you can instantly feed into an RSS reader on whatever the tool of choice is – mobile device, Smart phone, iPad, or whatever comes up in the future.
Does that mean email is dead today? No. But be aware that it’s changing. You need to build your list today in a variety of ways. As one goes away, implement another. Always give choices to your customers, and realize they are at all levels of the spectrum. One may truly love your on Kindle – the other barely understands email. Your goal isn’t to force a client into a particular method; its to allow them to receive information in the manner they prefer.