While the
email marketing world is still learning how best to integrate social media, I want to throw out one word to current email marketers: “Legitimacy”. Adding a simple Facebook Fan Page to the media mix will convey an added sense of legitimacy by allowing message recipients to see how others feel about your product or service. It is very much like selecting a good restaurant based on the current dining crowd - if the place is busy, it must be good. The key is to use an email service provider (ESP) that makes this transition easy and seamless. With the new Fan Page in place, you can add a link to your email campaign that will invite more clicks and build better message delivery.
The vast majority of marketing emails I see ask the message recipient to visit a website. A website that calls out to take action: sign-up for something, buy something. This is fine as an ultimate goal, but the consumer is not always so quick to act based solely on the seller’s opinion. They need proof that the product or service is legit. A persuasively worded email message along with a professionally designed website may not be enough. People want proof that they are making a good decision. Look at all the websites that allow individuals to leave reviews and comments about products they have purchased, or services they used. I could fill the rest of this article with these examples, but let’s focus on how simple it is for people who receive your email to click over to your Facebook Fan Page to see how many people “Like” what you have to offer. Your list members can also comment on the latest news or offers by your organization.
