AOL has released its fourth annual survey about email, and there’s a whole lot of addiction going on. Nearly half of respondents say they’re hopelessly hooked on email (up from 15% a year ago). One in five say they check email more than 10 times each day.
How bad is it? About a fifth say they’ve got more than 300 emails in their in-boxes, and many people simply delete emails en masse and start over with a new email address. More than half say they check email on vacation (or is it "staycations?").
You’ll love this. Here’s the percentage that check emails in the following locations:
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In bed in their pajamas: 67%
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From the bathroom: 59%
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While driving: 50%
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In a bar or club: 39%
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In a business meeting: 38%
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During happy hour: 34%
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While on a date: 25%
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From church: 15%
Startling and relatable at the same time. And all of these stats underscore the increasing challenge of administrating successful email database programs. The clutter is way up, as is the pressure to stay in touch. But when consumers are as overwhelmed by email as this study indicates (two-thirds check email while in bed?), it puts more pressure on radio stations to deliver messages that will be read – and not trashed.
Many of the tenets that Tim Davis has consistently addressed in this blog and in Jacobs Media memos on the topic come to mind. The importance of a catchy, attention-getting subject line. The one-thought-per-break email, as opposed to many of the ones we receive that contain a half dozen promotions, an array of coupons, and other stuff that beg for a "delete" click. No one’s reading all these things.
The bottom line is that we don’t automatically have their attention anymore. Just because their favorite DJ sends out an email is no guarantee that it will be read or absorbed.
In fact, with the inundation of email boxes, direct mail has to start looking better.
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
- Why Radio Needs To Stop Chasing The Puck - November 21, 2024
- Great Radio – In The Niche Of Time? - November 20, 2024
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