Marketing Articles

Social Media Complements Email for a Diverse e-Marketing Mix

With social networks and online communities growing in popularity by the day it's inevitable that new forms of messaging are created and adapted to along the way. For example, social media and instant messaging provide users with a direct, clear channel of uninterrupted conversation, as opposed to the one-way messages through e-mail. By staying up-to-date with social media trends and keeping their email marketing campaigns permission-based, marketers can add social media to their e-marketing strategy and reach their target no matter what medium they prefer.

Due to this shift in public uses of the internet to communicate, marketing professionals need to stay up-to-date with emerging trends and implement campaigns that reach their target audience where they prefer to interact. However, just because social media is growing does not mean that e-mail is an ineffective method of communication.

Presently, younger generations are much quicker to adopt new technology, while baby boomers and older generations are more comfortable with e-mail and even shun social media sites. In other words, the so called “decline” in email marketing is really just an increase in social media users. As younger generations eventually start using technology to manage their daily affairs and interact with their peers, they tend to communicate using the most current and interactive channels.

At the same time, those in the older demographics are accustomed to their own systems and ways of doing things. A 55 year-old executive is probably well aware of Facebook and MySpace, but it is highly doubtful that he/she would switch from using email to an online social media profile for personal communication purposes. In short, the use of an instant messenger system or social media profile for online conversation would not result in discontinued use of e-mail.

Put simply, recent research boils down to reaching and engaging with your target market in the ways that they want to communicate. First and foremost, if your e-marketing campaign is annoying and intrusive, it will be viewed as “spammy” no matter what channel it is being sent through. The key is to combine the use of e-mail with all other relevant forms of internet communication to reach your market the way THEY want to be reached.