31 Mar How Social Media And E-mail Can Work Together

There have been plenty of conflicting arguments that social media will one day replace e-mail. It seems that a lot of people jumped the gun in their assumptions because it is becoming apparent that e-mail will still have its place. In fact, marketers everywhere are trying to come up with ways to integrate the two for more effective marketing.

A recent E-Marketer article says it best, “Social media is a partner, not a threat, to e-mail marketing because it provides new avenues for sharing and engaging customers and prospects.”

In fact, there is great potential for social media to strengthen the use of e-mail marketing efforts.

The E-Marketer article also provides us with some insightful statistics on how marketers are adapting their e-mail marketing strategies to accommodate for social media.

According to the article, 4 out of 10 polled business executives feel that the integration of social media and e-mail should be a top priority in 2010. Improving the e-mail performance, targeting, and opt-in lists were ahead of social media integration.

The sharing buttons incorporated into e-mail marketing pieces will better help the reach of our marketing efforts. I see it as a great way to incorporate people into a new form of communication. It is an invitation for them to join you.

While social media has its distinct advantages over e-mailing, I think that e-mail will have its distinct place in marketing for a while. Until there is a clear-cut replacement for it, one that can not only dictate its functions but also improve on them, I don’t think consumers will abandon it. I think we will keep seeing stronger integrations between the two in not only marketing strategies, but in everyday use.