Social Networks Vs. The E-Card

Posted on 29. March, 2010.

Are social networking sites like Facebook, killing the e-card? Crushed Ice examines the pros and cons of the e-card.

The e-card is an "email greetings card" that can be Flash animated or as simple as a static image, and sent to friends or relatives over the internet.

 

Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence website, claims that the e-card is down from 16-29%. However, where e-greetings traffic has been declining, traffic to social networking sites has been increasing during seasonal occasions.

 

But what are the pros and cons to sending an e-card?

 

Pros

 

• There are fancy and happy animations with music to brighten someone's day or make them laugh.
• With certain e-card websites, you can set your account to remind you of all important dates and events.
• Anyone with an email account can receive your e-card

 

Cons

 

• Some people tend not to open the email as they are often mistaken for spam. There are also lots of e-cards out there that contain a virus that can infect your computer.

 

Based upon the pros and cons listed above, it seems clear that the e-card is here to stay. However, if social networking sites were to adopt new features, for instance to incorporate events and extensive reminder systems, then the e-card could fall short.

 

It is fair to say that social networks are not going to kill the e-card overnight, but there is great potential if social networks play their (e)cards right.