The intersection of social media and email goes well beyond the common mantra that marketing must be “integrated.” In fact, social interactions depend on email—and vice versa—to a far greater extent than is commonly acknowledged.
“If you're getting noticed on social channels, you'll be notified by email that somebody has posted to your Facebook wall,” said Mike Hotz, associate director-strategic services at email service provider Responsys Inc. Social and email also work together well for troubleshooting, he said.
“If you're having problems with manufacturing or customer service, and it's reflected in the social commentary, you can adjust your email campaigns accordingly,” Hotz said. “And, if somebody is raving about your product, you can use that in email.”
Social media and email can work in tandem to mutually reinforce the power of a campaign. A recent b-to-c example is KFC's campaign on behalf of its new Double Down chicken sandwich. The campaign debuted in April via email but with a social call to action asking recipients to share news of the launch on Facebook and Twitter.
“There was huge buzz about the Double Down, proving that social and email can live together,” said Ryan Phelan, VP-strategic services at BlueHornet, an email service provider. “Social got a win because of the huge exposure that resulted, and email won because of everyone who clicked on those sharing buttons.
“In addition, the company can now segment its email recipients according to how they shared the email and market to them in different ways.”
Email has been described as the glue that holds social networks together. In a blog post earlier this year, Marketo Inc. Senior Marketing Manager Andrew Spoeth wrote that it's virtually impossible to create an online profile without providing an email address. And email's sharing capabilities reinforce the process.
“Here we see a true synergy between social networks and email, where we find interesting content and then share it with those closest to us,” Spoeth said. “It's true that social media has reinvented the concept of sharing, but the path a message takes is long and complex. And chances are high that somewhere along the line, email plays a role.”
On the iMedia Connection blog, Curt Keller, founder and CEO of Benchmark Email, has discussed several ways in which marketers can leverage the power of social and email for an impact that's greater than the sum of its parts:
- Collect any and all positive social comments about your company or brand and place them prominently in your email blasts. Make sure these raves are from various sources to create an “endorsement anthology.”
- Even those email recipients who unsubscribe may be likely targets for social media participation. If a customer wants to leave your list, give him an opportunity to follow you on a social channel instead.
- Promote your social presence in your emails. Focus only on the major channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), but be aware of up-and-coming social sites.
- Showcase your best videos in your emails, in particular those that have been produced and submitted by customers. These can act as gateways to your social network sites.
- Make sure email sign-up links are provided on your social sites. Social media can be a powerful driver of customer subscriptions.
THE CONVERSATION (add your response in the comments): How are you combining social media marketing with email?
