Social media is usually the first place new businesses go for marketing, and in some cases never leave. If you’re not on Instagram, how will people even know you exist?

The humble email often hides in social media’s shadow when it comes to multi-channel marketing.

We’ve talked about the important role of emails in driving conversion before. Now, new research suggests emails could play a bigger role as consumers lose trust in social media advertising.

Distrust of social media ads high

Cheetah Digital, a customer engagement software provider, recently gathered data from 932 respondents for its 2022 Digital Consumer Trends Index. It looked at Australian consumer attitudes, and trends in personalisation, privacy, messaging advertising and brand loyalty.

According to the index, 67 percent of consumers do not trust the advertising they see on social media platforms. It also found 63 percent don’t trust social media platforms with their data. 

Teresa Sperti, founder and director of Arktic Fox says she doesn’t find the results surprising at all. 

“Over time, there has been an erosion in the level of trust for social platforms,” she points out. 

“As a whole, this has led consumers to be increasingly wary about the information they provide on these platforms and how their data is being utilised.” 

In 2021, Apple introduced a new privacy setting that allowed people to block companies like Facebook from tracking them. Users have obviously embraced this opportunity. In the latest earnings report from Meta, the company experienced its first drop in ad revenue, citing the Apple iOS changes as one key challenge.

“From a data privacy point of view, consumers’ expectations are changing broadly,” says Sperti.

“Consumers are less trusting of brands when it comes to providing data. They don’t believe brands can be trusted to protect personal data or utilise it effectively. As a result, we’re seeing a wave of greater scepticism from consumers as a whole.”

Cheetah’s data reflects some willingness for consumers to provide data to brands.

Fifty percent were comfortable sharing data about themselves like clothing size, age, and family make-up for a better service. Fifty-two percent said they’d trade personal and preference data to feel part of a brand’s community. 

Why consumers like emails

Cheetah’s figures also show that for now, email is still comfortably the preferred channel for receiving offers, content, incentives, and rewards from brands.

Email also reigns supreme when it comes to driving sales, beating paid social and display advertising by up to 228 percent.

Miles Toolin of Cheetah Digital says we’ve gone ‘back to the future’ of marketing.

“In light of all the creepy advertising, marketers are going back to the basics of building a brand. And that’s putting the spotlight back on email,” he says.

“Email is a trusted channel. At least 90 percent of consumer brands have emails.”