Hey there!
As we continue with the list building series, we will cover many related topics. Today we look at two platforms to see which is best for your business – Email Marketing or Social Media.
Social media is great for building relationships. People on social media are looking to connect with other people or to be entertained. They are NOT interested in being sold to.
Therefore, it is not so great for driving revenue. So if your social media efforts are going to be successful building your business, you have to give away a lot of great content, solve problems and answer questions.
On the other hand, with email, you have a one-to-one conversation.
Yes, autoresponders make it easy to send an email to thousands of people at once, but each one of those list members feels that you are talking to them individually.
This is a very intimate setting, and why email marketing works so well to generate sales.
Besides, there are 3 times as many email accounts as there are Twitter and Facebook users … combined!
Believe it or not, not everyone is on all of the big social networks. But do you know anyone who does not have an email address?
You should also consider this. Most people still check their email inboxes, but they may or may not be surfing around on social networks.
Email is also personal and sales oriented. Studies continue to show that consumers prefer email as a way for a company to talk to them, especially as opposed to social network interaction.
Email also gets more attention from your customers and prospects than any social media.
Your prospects and leads, customers and clients probably spend a lot more time on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest than they do checking email. However, you may or may not grab their attention on crowded social media channels.
You have their attention 100% in their in-box, when they allow you to market to them.
If all you are trying to do is build relationships and goodwill, social media is perfect for that.
If you expect your business to grow and profit, email marketing is far and away the preferred channel. With an average return on investment of $43 for every $1 spent, email marketing is the hands-down marketing winner for most businesses.
Having said all that, there is a place for both in your business.
Use Social Media to drive visitors to your website. Be interesting and entertaining and give value. Link to a page on your website from the social media post.
Make sure you have related content and an opt-in form on that page and you now have another way of driving traffic to your freebie.
