For most, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook have become an integral part of their private lives. But how relevant is social media for the marketing strategy of companies? In addition to email marketing, social media marketing should also find its place in every marketing mix these days. But what is the best way to approach the combination of both measures and what do you have to pay attention to?

1. Social Media vs. Email Marketing: What’s More Effective?

Both email marketing and social media are important components that should not be missing in your marketing mix. Many still try to weigh up which of the two means of communication is the better or more effective way to be in regular customer contact and to keep the target group up to date.

Both social media channels and newsletter dispatch have one thing in common: subscribers and followers show an active interest in your company and/or your products. This gives you a huge advantage when it comes to gaining new followers – no one has to be convinced anymore!

In general, it is not possible to say which of the two channels is more effective, because many components are important here. Both communication channels can be aimed at different target groups depending on the industry and company. Social media, for example, can make it easier to reach younger prospects than e-mail marketing. It also depends on how often you use both channels and what content you share about them. It is therefore most effective to use both channels in parallel to pick them all up and not miss a chance for new contacts.

What effect would it have on your company if you were to implement cross-media use – i.e. a combination of social media and e-mail marketing?

2. Four good reasons for a cross-media marketing strategy

First, it’s worth taking a look at the benefits of combining email marketing and social media so we can then look at how best to approach your cross-media campaign:

• Low cost, huge output: What could be better than marketing measures that hardly cost your company anything? Probably not much! Social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. are available to private individuals and companies in the basic version free of charge. Even for a professional newsletter tool, the costs are low compared to other marketing measures. The content can be created for both channels with little effort, for example, you can use free templates for newsletters and social media posts that are available online.
• Many channels, one message: If you not only send newsletters or are only in contact with (potential) customers via social media, but combine the two, you convey the same message via many channels – subscribers are regularly given the values that you follow as a company and thus keep you more in mind.
• One platform, countless user groups: Are you interested in tapping into a new clientele? Nothing is easier than that! On the common social media platforms, from cat lovers to hobbyists, many people of all ages with a wide variety of interests cavort. Seize your opportunity and gain new customers via social media, which you subsequently turn into existing customers through e-mail marketing.
• New leads = larger database: By expanding to another communication channel, your customer database will also expand in the long term. As long as you have obtained the express consent of your subscribers via double opt-in, nothing stands in the way of your newsletter dispatch for a larger and extended target group. You benefit from the networking of both channels in both directions: Social media followers become newsletter subscribers and vice versa – your community is growing!

 

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3. Seven Helpful Tips on How to Integrate Social Media into Your Email Marketing Strategy

With so many advantages, you would probably like to start immediately to become active on social media (if you have not already been). Fortunately, the Internet is a few steps ahead of us and makes it easy for us to link multiple accounts and databases.

Let’s take a closer look at what tips and tricks you can use in the cross-media use of social media and newsletters in the future…

📧 Social media buttons in the e-mail signature or newsletter

By integrating social media icons into the newsletter, subscribers know directly on which channels you are represented. You don’t have to search for it first and can follow your accounts directly with a click on the mail.

📱 Easy newsletter registration via social media accounts

Via a sign-up link in your social media accounts, your followers can easily sign up for your newsletter from anywhere. But be careful, as already mentioned, you must always obtain your express consent!

🤩 Offer exclusive content and offers

Try to create added value for your subscribers or followers and deliver alternative content. If the same person receives your newsletter and is an active follower of your accounts, it would be a shame to offer the same content. Mention interesting facts in your newsletter and exciting tips on social media.

👍 Track results and get feedback

By regularly tracking your e-mails, you can understand how well your mailings are received and thus regularly improve your newsletters and adapt them to your customer needs. This is even easier with social media channels – ask your followers specifically for feedback: in stories, via the comment function or in the direct messages. You can use your results to deliver even more exciting content to your target group on both channels.

# Use hashtags

Use hashtags under your social media posts. This not only increases the chance of being discovered by (potential) new customers. Interested parties can follow these hashtags and even use them themselves under their posts or in comments. In addition, you could create new hashtags that are clearly assignable to your company and include them in your newsletters to increase the awareness of the hashtags. #becreative

📇 Integrate contacts

With a few simple clicks, you can connect your social media accounts and upload contacts from your database. So you can reach the same people on all social platforms. Then regularly draw attention to your newsletter and motivate your followers, e.g. via an incentive to subscribe to the newsletter.

📺Run campaigns

So-called lead or ad campaigns are paid posts that reach more users than just your followers. Even though this option comes at a cost, it can prove to be extremely effective. On some platforms, there are special lead campaigns for attracting new subscribers. As is well known, trying is more important than studying!

4. The most important things at a glance

Both newsletter dispatch and social media marketing are important components of a company’s advertising measures and should not be ignored under any circumstances. Above all, it is important that both channels complement each other and offer added value for your subscribers. Since social media followers and newsletter subscribers actively approach you, interest in your company or products is guaranteed. Now it only depends on which marketing measure you already use for yourself and whether you either:

… Social media followers want to become newsletter subscribers: e.g. through a post that invites them to subscribe to the newsletter or via a link to the newsletter landing page.

or

… Newsletter subscribers would like to become social media followers: e.g. by placing the social buttons in the newsletter and a follow-us invitation in the newsletter text.

 

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