7 tips for integrating social media and email marketing

Email marketing is not dead

You might be saying to yourself, “Are people still running email marketing campaigns? Isn’t that outdated?” While the last few years have seen newer techniques coming into the field of digital marketing, email marketing still has its place in today’s environment, and a very important one at that.

Studies have been carried out about companies that ditched their email marketing campaigns in favor of sole focus on social media and the other digital marketing strategies. Some have shown success, but these are the exception rather than the norm. If you still believe email marketing has lost its relevance, check out this infographic on the value of email marketing. If you’re still not convinced, think about how many times you check your mail in a day, or even hour? See? Good, now we can continue.

The integration of email marketing in your social media strategy

Why should your email campaigns include social sharing abilities? Are there any benefits to inviting your email subscribers to also connect with you on your social media profiles? Should email marketing and social media be integrated?

The answer is a resounding “Yes”, and these are some reasons why:

• To extend email reach – if more people share your emails, you increase your potential for more click-throughs, opens and conversions.

• To identify key influencers – most email service providers offer metrics on the people that have shared your emails, most of which include the effects of their sharing efforts on other key metrics like clicks, opens and conversions. Using this data, your marketing team can better understand and leverage the power of these influencers, such as sending dedicated campaigns to these self-made brand ambassadors.

• To grow your subscriber list – with more people looking up your emails, you can improve your chances of growing your email subscription list.

Adding social connection options to your email communications can also be helpful in the following ways:

• It gives you another platform on which to engage with your audience – different platforms provide different opportunities for outreach and engagement with your customers and subscribers.

• It gives email subscribers options – perhaps your email subscribers are more often found on social media and would prefer to engage with you there. Email is great, but it shouldn’t be the only option they have for interacting with your brand.

• It improves reach of your message – why should you limit the potential reach of your email communication, when just a few small buttons can get your message out to other people in other networks?

How to integrate email marketing in your social media platforms

Before delving into details of how you can integrate social media into your email campaign, it’s important to note that there’s a difference between connecting and social sharing. The former is what you do when you ask a subscriber to like you on Facebook, follow on Twitter or subscribe to YouTube etc. The latter is where the marketer includes options for the subscriber to share their email on their own social media profiles.

Below are some ways you can apply to get email marketing and social media integrated for maximum efficacy.

1. Adding social icons to emails

This sounds obvious, and you probably already do it. However, what we’re talking about is not slapping on a tiny Twitter or Facebook icon somewhere at the bottom of your email message. Say it loud and proud, right at the beginning, in a place where readers won’t miss it.

2. Invite subscribers to connect and share

It isn’t enough to just have social icons. While many subscribers recognize the icons as social sharing buttons, not all of them know what action you’re inviting them to take when they come across the icons on an email. Tell them exactly what you want them to do. If it works for your brand, you can do this in a creative and/or humorous way.

3. Use dedicated campaigns

Some users may still not follow through with your desired actions even after seeing the buttons and reading your share and connect call. If you’re not seeing much success with the above, you can send a dedicated email message specific to one social platform. For instance, you can tell subscribers why they should like your page on Facebook, and how to do so.

4. Provide incentives

Just like everything else on Earth, human beings respond better when they know they have something to gain from whatever it is you want them to do. For instance, some companies urge subscribers to get their friends/networks to follow and like them on social media in exchange for store discounts on purchases they make. It doesn’t have to be a financial incentive though.You can offer other incentives like giving subscribers a chance to be featured on your next email correspondence. The bottom-line is to give them a reason to share and connect.

5. Use social media to promote email opt-ins

If you have a strong presence in one social network, you can use it to ask people to subscribe to your newsletters and email correspondence. You can promote email opt-ins on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. The important point is to use each channel to boost other channels you’re featured in, called cross-promotion.

6. Have a “Retweet This!” tag in your emails

Highlighting a specific tweet in your email campaign can help to cross-promote your campaigns on email and Twitter. The good thing about featuring a particular tweet in your campaign is that it fits well into the ‘sharing from your community’ point.

7. Include an email opt-in form on Facebook

On Facebook, you have the option of embedding an email sign-up form among your apps. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask your Facebook fans to subscribe to your email list.

There you have it, you can use social media miles to improve your email marketing campaigns, and vice versa. Have you tried any of these ideas before? Share your thoughts with us!

Wrap up

There you have it, you can use social media miles to improve your email marketing campaigns, and vice versa. Have you tried any of these ideas before? Share your thoughts with us!

This post was written by Jack Dawson, a web developer and UI/UX specialist at BigDropInc.com.