6 Easy Ways to Integrate Email and Social Media

Smucker's Goober GrapeMany marketers still don’t integrate social media and email marketing. Many plan to do so in the future, but not you — you’re gonna do it right now, right? Here are 6 easy steps to get you started.

1) Tweet Your Email Newsletters

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? Once you’ve created an e-newsletter or other email message, Tweet a link to a web-page version. You’ll expand your reach and get extra mileage out of your content. Include an email sign-up box on the landing page so you can get new subscribers.

2) Send Blog Posts to Email Subscribers

Sure, some of your blog readers subscribe via email. But why stop there? Include a link to your latest blog post, along with a teaser, in your next e-newsletter.

3) Add Email Sign-Ups Forms to Social Sites

Your fans on your social media sites are ideal candidates to for your email list. Constant Contact has a Facebook app that lets you add a “Join My Mailing List” tab to your Facebook Page. Other email marketing vendors give you HTML code to add a sign-up form to any website.

4) Include a “Follow Us” Link in Email

Do you include Facebook, Twitter and other icons in your email newsletters? Links to your social sites encourage email subscribers to extend their relationship with you. Plus, emails that include social links have 30% higher click-thru rates, according to one study.

5) Archive Past E-Blasts on Your Social Pages

Using FBML, you can create a custom tab on your Facebook Wall with images, text and links. Use this to create an archive of past email newsletters and other email messages.

6) Include a “Share This” Button in Emails

A majority of email marketers overlook the option of letting email subscribers share content with others via a “Share This” button. Adding a simple bit of code lets you turn your email readers into a message-spreading army.

Additional Resources

Need more ideas? Check out Donna Maria’s post 4 Ways Your Email Newsletter Can Drive Traffic to Your Blog, Facebook and Twitter Pages (Disclosure: Donna Maria is an occasional client and full-time friend, and smart as a whip!).

Have other ideas? Leave a comment!