August 3 , 2010

Using email marketing to boost social presence

Driving recipients to social sites is key

A majority of email marketers are now making efforts to integrate social media into their campaigns. June 2010 research from StrongMail, a provider of email and social media marketing solutions, put the number who had integrated social and email, or planned to this year, at 71% worldwide.

But the vast majority are still focusing on the basics rather than more sophisticated techniques for integration.

More than seven in 10 business executives surveyed around the world said they were promoting their Twitter, Facebook or other social presence in their email marketing messages. That was even more prevalent than facilitating recipients to share messages socially (63%).

That study found Facebook was the favorite for integration with email efforts. More than nine in 10 marketers who combined social and email used Facebook in their campaigns; nearly as many used Twitter. Fewer than half of marketers integrated LinkedIn with their email programs.

Email marketing software firm GetResponse analyzed emails sent by small and midsize businesses in spring 2010 and found they were likewise focused on Facebook and Twitter, almost to the exclusion of all other services. About three-quarters linked to Facebook in their messages, while half linked to Twitter. Fewer than 10% integrated any other social sites with their email campaigns.