Sick of the avalanche of unsolicited email coming in to your inbox? Most of us are, and my kids have reacted by virtually turning email off, and using social media to communicate with those in their circles. The volumes however, continue to go up, as email simply works as a marketing medium when done well.
Clearly, there is a “Trinity” that is evolving in marketing as the 21st century progresses.
Social media
Content.
All are different, all have a place, all require different skills to be successful.
Social media is a “pull” tool, voluntary, people are free to dip in and out at their discretion. The task of the marketer is to make it interesting, engaging, and provide the reasons for people to keep on coming back.
Email is a “push” tool. Find a mailing list, and send stuff out. However, with an open rate for unsolicited emails in the low single figures, the challenge is to not just get the mail opened, but to get the recipient to do something with it.
Content is the stuff that has to be interesting, and targeted to the concerns, problems, and competitive environment of the recipient, and is glue that holds email and social media together. Neither are likely to be any good without the glue of effective content.
So, to be effective, spend lots of effort getting the right glue, then making sure you use it properly.
