14 DAY TRIAL // PR agency, Prompt Communications has recently published the findings of a small survey on the most common used methods of communication between people. The 300 respondents in Boston, US showed that the phone is the most commonly used method to connect to others, 99 percent, while Facebook is next on their list, with 96 percent of the respondents pointing towards it. Next in line comes the SMS, with 93 percent, followed closely by email, 91 percent.
On the other hand, the respondents nominated SMS as the most frequently used method of communication, with 37 percent. Next in line come Facebook and the phone, with 28 percent, while the email is now seen as a much less important means of communication, it seems, at least when compared to the social networking. However, the survey also shows that only 20 percent of the respondents believe they could stop using the email entirely.
Hazel Butters, CEO of Prompt Communications, said: “Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, with over 350 million users, so it should come as no surprise to discover that people are using it as a primary tool for communication. However, our survey results also show that people are still using more established methods of communication, from the phone to email. It is important for organizations to understand these trends if they want to reach their customers exactly where and how they would like to be reached. As attitudes change and new methods of human interaction develop, businesses must stay ahead of the trends.”
One of the main fears concerning the social networking seems to be the possibility for the employer to see the personal profiles of users on such sites, with 73 percent of the respondents stating they would not like that to happen. At the same time, 27 percent of the consumers said they would not like their families to see their profile on a social networking site. According to the survey, 71 percent of the people consider social media as turning communication into something less personal. Only 27 percent of the people said they could live without connecting to social networking sites.