People are now spending more time social networking than doing email so it is important for marketers to integrate social media into their campaigns and look at how the two can support each other to deliver better results.

When kicking off an email marketing campaign you need to first define the goal of the email. For example, are you using it as a tool to drive sales or to engage your customer base and build loyalty? Make sure content is relevant and engaging or you could be in danger of turning off potential customers rather than winning them over.

Brands need to be targeted in their approach and develop opt-in, permission-based email lists where customers have specifically asked to be contacted. A good email list is based on insight about what a customer wants and who they are and this is where social media comes in.

Social media enables an e-tailer or marketer to build an audience in a non-intrusive way by inviting dialogue and feedback and sharing compelling content about goods and services. If used well, sites such as Facebook or Twitter can be used to get a better understanding of what  customers want and allow companies to be more selective before pushing the email “send” button.

Social networking sites are in one sense platforms for sending messages, including email, to people who want to have a relationship with you.  But be careful to not abuse this relationship by spamming your ‘fans’.  If you don’t respect the community, it won’t respect you.

Content is also key. Even though email is not as powerful as it once was, it is still very much an important medium, especially when allied to social media.  Make the email stand out by embedding web links in emails to not only drive traffic to e-commerce sites but also company fan pages, ~Twitter feeds, blogs, photos and videos so that consumers can inform themselves of the latest offers, products and customer testimonials.

The bottom line is that email marketing can become more appealing and effective if bundled together with social media. The two can feed off each other in to benefit both the business and customer.

Yellow Jelly | 3rd and 4th Floor | 47 Dean Street | London | W1D 5BE
T:  +44 (0)20 7060 2395 | yellowjelly.uk.com