Small and medium enterprises should be aware that email is likely to be replaced by new communications tools as the main method of marketing online, according to a digital design agency.

Marcel Cowan, director of the Cowan Group and chairman of the Internet Advertising Bureau e-communications council, added that some industry experts feel social and instant messaging has already surpassed email in terms of reach.

"When it comes to achieving a greater reach and stand-out from emails, methods such as viral, social and widgets account for most new strategies," he added.

Mr Cowan went on to say that email will need to evolve into new e-communications methods, as people become more connected through their devices, and the browser experience improves on mobiles.

Research carried out by IT security firm Habeas indicates 65 per cent of respondents believe email will continue to be their favoured means of online communication for the next five years, making it more popular than video conferencing (19 per cent) and instant messaging (17 per cent).


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