Answer: E-mail marketing could not be better suited to enhance your social media efforts; in fact, it is the key ingredient in launching a successful social media marketing campaign. The rise of social media is pushing the evolution of e-mail marketing from blast campaigns to more personal, one-to-one engagements. So the short answer is e-mail is a perfect marriage with social media. Let’s review examples of how social media and e-mail are working together to create success for b-to-b marketers.
Consider an established social network or blog. These activities need a “push” element to keep followers or members updated. While RSS is still evolving, nine times out of 10 e-mail is the preferred messaging choice. People regularly receive messages from LinkedIn, Facebook or other social networking contacts about new business opportunities, promotions, industry trends or personal notes.
Perhaps most important is the use of e-mail to send social media (video, blogs, podcasts, etc.). Some of the most effective business case studies are being generated with social media embedded in e-mails.
Currently, no other form of communication is better tailored to fit our social lives on social networks than e-mail. As human behaviors continue to trend towards the online social environment, e-mail will be the main form of messaging fostering that change.
Aaron Kahlow is managing partner of consulting firm Business Online (http://www.businessol.com/).
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