Sure, consumers are spending increasingly more time on social networks and news/entertainment websites. But that doesn’t mean they respond well to the adverts on them.

Instead, according to research conducted in part by Ball State University’s
Center for Media Design
, consumers prefer that marketers contact them via email messages and direct mail.

“One of the key findings in this research is that 18- to 34-year-olds claim they are more likely to be influenced to make purchases based on email marketing messages and direct mail than marketing messags on social networks,” said Mike Boxham, director of insight and research for the university’s Center for Media Design.

Among  “young homemakers,” the study found, more than 50 percent preferred to receive marketing messages via email and direct mail. And teens were most influenced to make purchases by direct email and email messages, followed by SMS marketing messages.

The finding are surprising to some, considering how much consumers use other forms of digital media. But people don’t always like to be “bothered” while they’re enjoying themselves. They’d rather be contacted via messages for which they subscribed.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”