• by Kara Trivunovic , Op-Ed Contributor, July 9, 2009

There is a lot of conversation happening around social media and socializing email -- so much so that it almost feels redundant focusing this article on the topic. But hey, it is what it is -- the latest industry "drug," and I am not afraid to beat a dead horse (figuratively, of course!).  But really, just like any other "new" trend to hit email, the goal is to make "it" relevant and make "it" work for you.

Effectively socializing your email has more to do with the value of the content and less about the functionality available to share it. Sticking a "share this" link in your email brings no value unless the content you've provided is actually something interesting that people want to share.

Following are the top five ways to socialize your email efforts:

1.    Include redemption or coupon codes. Consumers are looking for a good deal -- especially in tight economic times. Including sharable coupon codes within your email communications drives recipients to share great deals with their friends. And if you provide a unique code to share socially, you can now track redemption attributable to the social application.

2.    Appeal to the audience's motivations. Understanding why your audience behaves in a specific manner is key to not only driving relevance in your email campaigns, but will also help create a socialized email program that is going to go viral. Once you understand the reason your recipients share, you can then build out a program accordingly. The most common motivators driving shared content are: status achievement, altruism, self-expression and self-serving.

3.    Just spit it out. Why are we as marketers always looking for a fun and whimsical way to say things? Do we get paid by word count? Look, if we want our audience to do something, let's just ask them and not assume that they subconsciously understand that we want them to post our content to their social sites. And here's a novel idea -- let's actually tell them why we want them to post it.

4.    Oh, the sense of community. Social networking is equivalent to community, which is why marketers need to go through a mental paradigm shift before they socialize their email campaigns. No longer can we look at our email recipients as a simple "list" -- it is our community, and that community is made up of a lot of different people that like varying things. But if we can appeal to the variances in our community, and allow them to share content with their like-minded peers, then we are expanding our community and our value. Someone said, "It takes a village," and in the world of social media, it couldn't be more true!

5.    Make it fun and engaging. Appealing to motivators, determining roles and specifying function is definitely important -- but, ya know what? Sometimes it just needs to be fun! Consumers are so inundated with serious issues in their daily lives that a good laugh and a smile can offer some needed relief.  Wouldn't it be great if you could make that happen? You don't need to present Einstein's Theory of Relativity or determine the right path to world peace in your social program -- kick back, support your brand and have some fun!

Approach your strategy for socializing your email with eyes wide open. Make sure that you don't get completely addicted to the new social drug without first thinking it through.  

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Editors' Note What do social media, online video, publishing and metrics have in common? Aside from all being topics that MediaPost publications such as Online Media Daily and OMMA magazine cover intently, they are all part of some fresh new OMMA conference videos that we've posted here for your viewing pleasure and professional development. Don't take our word for it. Come hear journalism savior Steve Brill make a case for online's "paid" model at OMMA Publish. Or listen to CNN interactive marketing guru Andy Mitchell explain how to build a community around news at OMMA Social. Or watch Publicis' Rishad Tobaccowala explain why everything can be measured, but "not everything is necessarily worth measuring" at OMMA Metrics & Measurement. Plus much, much more, including panels, keynotes, presentations, and even some good new insider perspectives from MediaPost's Search Insider and Email Insider invitation-only summits.