Will Email Become Obsolete? With the rise of instant messaging systems and digital workplace platforms, some may speculate that email will eventually join its predecessor fax machines in becoming obsolete. But email is far from outmoded.
Email has long been used as an essential communication channel, yet its effectiveness and security concerns continue to make it an indispensable tool. Here are several reasons why.
1. It’s a communication tool
Email has long been used as an effective communication tool, dating back to the 1980s. It allows individuals and groups to share documents, images and links over the Internet - perfect for both personal and professional purposes alike.
Email is easy and can be accessed from any computer or mobile device with Internet connectivity, making it a convenient way to stay in contact with colleagues and clients alike. Email provides the perfect platform for asking questions, providing feedback or making announcements as well as scheduling appointments or meetings and sending follow-up emails following meetings or interviews.
Email can be an effective communication tool; however, it can lead to information overload which in turn causes workplace stress. Furthermore, it may be hard to differentiate which emails are important and which aren't; and keeping up with email can be hard when away from the office or when traveling on vacation.
Even with all of its flaws, email remains one of the primary methods of business communication. While new forms may emerge regularly, email is unlikely to become obsolete anytime soon; smart businesses should use multiple types of communication tools in order to meet their business needs effectively.
Social media and videoconferencing can both serve as effective tools for sharing information and communicating with customers, while businesses should take advantage of each medium to their maximum advantage while mitigating its downsides. Training employees on how best to utilize these different communication platforms should also be considered an investment for success.
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2. It’s a marketing tool
Email marketing can be one of the most useful tools available. Not only does it allow for worldwide communication between contacts, but it can also deliver electronic files such as documents, images, and data sheets to recipients around the globe. According to research by DMA, most people maintain an email address for 10 years or longer, showing just how rooted in this platform we all are and the importance of taking full advantage of it.
Email marketing presents some unique challenges; while spam filters are becoming more and more sophisticated each year, some unsolicited advertising still slips through and email can be inefficient when communicating with multiple parties as it's easy to lose track in all the CCs and BCCs or accidentally reply to someone else.
Email remains an invaluable communication tool for businesses and professionals. While other digital platforms such as text messaging and collaboration software may offer alternatives, most still rely on email as the main way of connecting with colleagues. Even though Gen Z workers may abandon it in favor of newer social platforms like Snapchat and Periscope, most businesses see email as essential in their internal communications strategy.
Email is far from obsolete at present; millions of people around the world continue using it professionally despite its flaws. But in the long run, digital workplace trends point towards newer platforms offering increased efficiency and collaboration - like enterprise social networks or Slack - making email adaptable enough to fit with these platforms while maintaining its functionality among current users.
3. It’s a productivity tool
Email was one of the first truly digital tools developed for office communication, enabling people to send near real-time emails from their personal computers to others worldwide in a highly traceable and archiveable way. Email remains an indispensable component of electronic communications; over four decades old yet it continues to dominate workplace environments with over 426.4 billion emails sent daily according to Statista.
While email remains the main form of workplace communication, more workers are turning to enterprise social networks and instant messaging applications as an alternative method for rapid workplace communications. Such tools offer quick, seamless solutions to increase productivity, collaboration, clearer dialogues and increased collaboration in the modern workplace.
Though newer options are becoming increasingly popular, email is unlikely to become obsolete anytime soon. Email remains an effective business communication tool used for many different uses; from sharing files and sending marketing announcements, to organizing calendar events.
Note that these newer communication tools come with their own set of problems. Spam and unrelated messages can clog them up, making navigation difficult, while notifications may prevent workers from getting their work done efficiently.
Note that younger generations are entering the workplace and may not rely on email as heavily as previous ones have done. Gen Z-ers have grown up with multiple options for digital communication - instant messaging or private social media platforms may even be preferable over email for communication purposes.
4. It’s a security tool
Email has long been a source of great value to businesses, yet its openness makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals. Attackers use emails to spread malware, phishing attacks and spam campaigns; as well as steal sensitive data - attacks which often interrupt business productivity with significant fines and reputational damage for affected organizations.
Email security tools exist to assist in the prevention of cyberattacks, including filtering solutions and spam protection software. These solutions offer protection from infected attachments, suspicious URLs and impersonation attempts; in addition, these solutions can easily be integrated into email services for convenient deployment and management - which reduces costs while providing employees with a unified security experience.
5. It’s a privacy tool
Email has become a key tool in modern communication worldwide. Email can easily send electronic files like images, data sheets and documents with just one click; and store emails online so they are easily accessible from mobile phones or tablets at any time. Email also facilitates teamwork - an invaluable asset in business environments.
Email can be frustratingly imperfect; it can quickly become overrun with spam and advertising messages and privacy concerns must be managed accordingly. A single accidental click could expose personal or sensitive data to many recipients at once; emails could be misread if multiple CCs and BCCs or blind copying is used; additionally it can take too long for people in different time zones or working remotely to respond effectively via email.
As a communication tool, email will likely continue to exist for some time to come; however, instant messaging apps have emerged as alternatives that appeal more strongly to younger workers such as Generation Z currently entering the workplace.
Studies reveal that Generation Z relies less heavily on email than prior generations, even dismissing it entirely when it comes to work-related communication.
As email adapts to remain relevant in response to competition from newer communication tools, its features have changed accordingly. There are now self-destructing emails and the option to pause them - both of which make email more user-friendly - while integration with workplace apps makes finding and retrieving conversations much simpler.
Read this also: How Email Campaigns Can Provide Value to Your Customers
