• by September 29, 2011

When talking about email marketing and social media marketing, the savvy marketer knows it's not a question of which is better -- the two channels go hand in hand and are crucial components to a complete marketing mix. This is even more important for small businesses and organizations. They are often time-and resource-starved, and thus need quick, affordable ways to reach current and prospective customers.

The great news is that the combination of email and social media offers a fantastic one-two punch that ensures marketers that their message is not only heard, but spread as widely as possible -- all while being easy and affordable (and yes, these two are both possible!). Here are a few easy things small organizations can do to have a big impact right away.

Social Share Buttons

Adding "social share buttons" to outgoing email newsletters enables recipients to easily share content with their own social media circles. This can be as easy as adding the Like, Tweet and LinkedIn share buttons in the body of the email. People are eager to share valuable content with friends and colleagues. If your content is compelling and can be shared with just the click of a button, your email subscribers will help you spread the word.

Social Call to Action

Another common way to leverage the combined power of email and social media is to use a strong social call-to-action to draw email readers to Twitter or a Facebook Page to continue the conversation. Try using email to ask your customers for feedback, raise a provocative issue, invite them to share their stories or to simply ask you questions. This is a great way to start a conversation where it's most likely to be heard (the email inbox) and to continue it in an environment that facilitates two-way engagement (social media).

Facebook "Join My Mailing List" Tag

Many marketers have grown their social media following by asking their email subscribers to find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter; however, you can also use social media to grow your email list. Adding a Join My Mailing List application directly to your Facebook page or a link to join your email list in your Twitter profile offers fans and followers a way to easily opt-in to receive your emails. This is a great way to grow your contact lists anywhere your loyal, raving fans are.

Email and Social Media Marketing in Action

One national maker of dog bones and chews we know started out with 333 Likes on Facebook and 8,934 email subscribers. It had a goal of getting to 5,000 Likes and adding more email subscribers, so it decided to launch its own daily deal promotion of sorts using a combination of email and social media. The task: Like the brand on Facebook and subscribe to its emails. The reward: Once it got to 5,000 Likes, everyone who had liked them and subscribed to their email list received a $20 coupon.

The company sent the offer to all of its email subscribers and shared the information on both its Facebook Page and on Twitter. This made it easy for fans to join their email list right from Facebook using our Join My Mailing List application. The marketer's fans shared the campaign to their social networks and on their own blogs, and as a result, it was able to grow its email list by 48% and reach 5,000 Facebook fans in just three days.

This example is proof that it's no longer enough for brands to just provide solid content; it has to be heard and made easy to share. In addition, it's not enough to just broadcast a message; marketers must listen and respond to their audience. But the key is remembering that it's not just about getting the initial Like; it's about what you do to keep your fans engaged when they aren't right in front of you, and both email and social media are the tools that make it possible.

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