Increasingly, active email marketers are wondering how they can engage with their subscribers in social media.
It’s a bit scary, because most email is still of the “batch and blast” variety, and that dog will not hunt in social media, where the marketing is conversational and the name of the game is relevance.
But, assuming you aren’t looking at social media as a messaging venue, but rather an opportunity to learn about your customers, and for them to learn about your brand, tying your email and social media efforts together should be a 2009 prime directive.
Here’s 3 easy ways to do so:
1. Collect Profile Data in Subscription Forms
Offer your email subscribers the option of including their Twitter name on your subscription form. Something like:
“We care about our customers. Can we follow you on Twitter?” Please provide your Twitter name, and we’ll follow you ASAP. (We’re at @companyname, by the way)
2. Promote Social Media Outposts in Welcome Messages
When you send your welcome message after initial subscription (you ARE sending welcome messages, aren’t you?), include links to your various social media outposts. Carefully track which links get clicked, as it will give you an indication of which are most popular among your customers.
3. Social Media-Only Offers
If you really want to get a handle on which social media venues your customers prefer, and in what intensity, create an email that includes links to special offers or promotion codes that are shown only on your social media profile pages. Something like: “We’ve got incredible offers available on items we think you’d love. For details and promotion codes, visit us online on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter”
Great thoughts! Sometimes I find it surprising that you can correlate social media with e-mail.
Blog Expert’s last blog post..Digg Headlines That Work
@jaybaer blog post this morning http://tinyurl.com/5hnkxe. Simple, good advice for orgs looking to tie email & social together.
Jason –
Love it. Another thought on #1 (Collect Profile Data in Subscription Forms):
I’d also make it easy for your customers to follow you. Add a Twitter icon/follow on the subscription form….
DJ (Bronto)
DJ Waldow’s last blog post..Upcoming: The Bronto Winter 2009 Release
nice post by @jaybaer: 3 Absurdly Simple Ways to Tie Together Social Media and Email – http://idek.net/wj
Some great thoughts Jason!
A couple months ago I decided to try and begin integrating the conversations I was having on my networks along with the newsletters and emails that I was sending to my opt-in restaurant email list. I’m not sure how many of my email list subscribers also follow my in social media. But, guessing that few do, I decided to alter my newsletter to include icons and links to my profiles. I then also include a featured post from my blog as well as a featured recipe from my blog.
I have found that the CTR on the links is very high and is a test that I will continue running. I’m next going to test with moving the location of these segments and see what happens to the CTR.
I love experimenting like this at ways of marrying the different areas which I communicate with the rest of the world, be it either personally or professionally.
Justin Levy’s last blog post..A Twist on the Traditional: Deep Fried Pumpkin Pies
[...] Quite liked these 3 absurdly easy ideas for tying together social media and email from Convince and [...]
This is fantastic! As a corollary, it finally dawned on me that I could add clickable icons to my email marketing template. Since my email marketing interface reports back everything that’s clicked, not only can I see which are most popular social media portal among my subscribers, but I can also see who actually responds to social media. That is a prospect qualifier for me, since I want to work with people that are at least open to social media as a way of reaching their niche.
But actually adding icons to my subscription confirmation page was a genius tip, Jason. Thank you.
I also started including blurbs from the blog into my email newsletter too, like Justin. It’s a great way (at least conceptually) to increase readership among my fashion-industry subscribers who are not particularly social media savvy. I am measuring as we speak.
Now, if I could only get them to comment…
Andrea Merida’s last blog post..Video: The Survival of Your Apparel Brand With Social Media
Tie your email marketing and social media marketing together, here’s 3 too-simple-to-not-do examples. http://twurl.nl/w7sr3l
RT @websuccessdiva Tie your email marketing and social media marketing together. 3 too-simple-to-not-do examples. http://twurl.nl/w7sr3l
The trick, if there is such a thing, is variety. Make certain you collect a steady and varied collection of links
Adding this to my bookmarks. Thank You
[...] Here are several great tips for doing so, from Jason Baer, at Connect and Convert: [...]
[...] 3 Absurdly Easy Ways to Link Email and Social: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/email-marketing-advice/tie-together-social-media-and-email/ Pew Report: State of the TwitterSphere – [...]
[...] Here are several great tips for doing so, from Jason Baer, at Connect and Convert: [...]
The trick, if there is such a thing, is variety. Make certain you collect a steady and varied collection of links
Interesting strategies RT @seonow 3 Simple Ways to Tie Together Social Media and Email http://is.gd/6JPGZ
HOW TO: 3 Absurdly Simple Ways to Tie Together Social Media & Email http://bit.ly/KOqkO @jaybaer #socialmedia #email
RT @aschottmuller: HOW TO: 3 Absurdly Simple Ways to Tie Together Social Media & Email http://bit.ly/KOqkO @jaybaer #socialmedia #email
RT @aschottmuller: HOW TO: 3 Absurdly Simple Ways to Tie Together Social Media & Email http://bit.ly/KOqkO @jaybaer #socialmedia #email
Twitter Comment
bookmarked Tie Together Social Media and Email: [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Twitter Comment
bookmarked Tie Together Social Media and Email: [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
bookmarked Tie Together Social Media and Email: http://bit.ly/atkD3d