Why Email Marketing Should Be the Hub of Your Social Marketing Efforts

There is a pretty standard rule when it comes to social media for business, you need to get people in your target market to your personal or company social media site, that is, your blog.  If you get people there, and they interact, you can build community…but does that go far enough?  In this post I will share the rings of intimacy, and the benefits of having your email list as the inner ring.

Why Email Marketing Should Be the Hub of Your Social Media Efforts

I’m amazed to see what a following many blogs have out there today, and great content, yet many are missing an opportunity to engage with followers further by linking it to their email marketing strategy.  Email marketing is what I believe to be the tightest ring of intimacy a marketer can have with followers and their marketplace.  Getting to be on your subscriber list (done correctly) should be a privilege and a joy for subscribers.

Key benefits of email marketing is that it establishes you as the expert, let’s you identify with your market, and puts you in a position to introduce products and services that will help solve subscribers pain.

While I can speak only from my personal experience, I think many would agree that while having a solid email marketing strategy is important, it is not easy to do.  It is hard work.  As valuable as email marketing tips may be (and there are many out there), it is different from an overall email marketing strategy.

The illustration in this post represents what I call “rings of intimacy”.  Social Networking Sites like Facebook might direct them to your Micro blog like Twitter or any of the inner rings, Twitter to the blog which then directs them to your email marketing list.

Email Marketing Offers Communication Diversification

If Twitter goes away, or is down, this single channel is down, not your entire communication structure, it’s the same for Facebook, and social networking sites.  Also, if have a business blog hosted at a free site like Blogger or Wordpress, consider that while indeed it is a simple and easy way to start blogging, it can stop at any time if they decide your blog no longer meets their terms of service.  Email marketing serves as a consistent backdoor channel to reach your market should any of your social media front door channels fail.

People Want to Be Led

Readers want to understand what the next step is to be in tighter connection with you, so tell them!  As you add value, and let them know where they can go to get more information.  People in general respond well to those who know where they are going.  Leading followers gently down your social media rings, should continue as an email subscriber.

Of course, having subscribers on your email list introduces a whole new strategy for engaging them (hint: this is where email marketing strategy kicks in).

Good for Business

Don’t make your blog the final destination, invite people to become a subscriber by opting into your email list.  The more people you have on your email list the more likely you’ll be able to sell products and increase your bottomline.  Quite simply, this is part of a good email marketing strategy.  You don’t want to be held hostage by free services that can cripple your business at a moments notice if they don’t like your content, or decide to change their terms of service.  Putting yourself in this situation is not fair to you, your company, or your customers and subscribers.

It’s Your Turn: What is the value of an email subscriber to you? What’s am I missing here? Please leave your comments here on the blog.

Image Credit Darwin Bell

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