Research Insights - Email Delivers

Overview
Email remains one of the most widely used activities on the internet. This study provides a snapshot on how people are using email, whether their usage has changed over the past few years and how it sits at the centre of their social network.

Methodology

• 1,517 email users across a variety of email platforms.
• Two sets of group discussions and 1,517 online interviews.
• Data weighted to profile of UK internet users aged 16+

Key Insights

• Email has not plateaued – it is dynamic and still growing, especially amongst the young. Almost 98% of all respondents use email at least as much now as they did a year ago. They also expect to use it even more in the future.
• Email has a wide variety of uses – many related to buying products. Over 84% said that they like receiving coupons and money off vouchers from companies. Appropriate and relevant communications from businesses is welcomed - almost one in ten users said that they forward promotions and vouchers onto friends.
• Email remains at the core of social media – many people use it for personal chat/conversations (54%), sharing photos (42%), making social arrangements (34%), and sending e-cards (25%).
• Email is loved – 89% look forward to checking their account for new messages and 55% stated that email was their most important aspect of internet usage. That’s 3x the number who favoured search and 8 times those who said social networking sites.
• Social networking has had a positive effect on email usage – 92% of those who send messages on a social network also said that their usage of their primary email address has increased or remained the same since 12 months ago. 33% also said that they regularly check for email notifications received from social networks.
• 35-54 year olds see email as particularly important and 35% of them would rather change their mobile phone number than their email address
• Email still has a universal appeal that cuts across demographics – as such it is an ideal basis for an online advertising campaign looking to reach an extensive and engaged audience.

Microsoft Advertising Email Solutions provide an end-to-end solution to deliver email messages direct to a targeted and engaged audience.