Email marketers take heed– email remains the most popular online activity in the nation, according to a survey released by Mediamark Research and Intelligence.

The survey found that almost three-quarters (74.2%) of all U.S. adults use email, an increase of 5.2% from Fall 2007. The “Fall 2008 Survey of the American Consumer ” also revealed that 46.0% of respondents obtained news online; 37.2% made a purchase for personal use; 28.3% obtained financial information and most importantly for B2B marketers — 11.4% made a purchase for business use.

These metrics are highly encouraging for marketers turning back to email and digital marketing in the current economic turmoil. Email continues to offer a low-cost, targeted solution, which still manages to convert prospects and nurture relationships with customers. Email marketing also holds an advantage over blogging when used for company updates on events, news, and product announcements.

Ultimately, email is expected to play an increasingly important role in marketing campaigns during the economic downturn, and here at Marketbright we are continuing to focus on developing a suite of tools that provides the easiest-to-manage email experience for both marketing novices and seasoned professionals.

Marketing challenges will certainly persist, but those businesses that implement streamlined and highly targeted email campaigns, use intelligent list management, and impeccable testing and reporting will be most likely to weather the storm.