Social Media Strategy – Integration of Facebook and Email

When you think about your social media strategy for 2012, remember that you need to integrate how you use Facebook with other communication channels like email. Jay Baer, the co-author of the book: “The Now Revolution” made an interesting presentation at the Facebook Success Summit in 2011 which highlighted how integration between these two digital marketing channels can help you delight your fans and help you to build your business.

Similarities between Facebook and Email

Many people don’t realize it, but Facebook and email are in fact very similar. A report was published last year stating that 84% of Facebook Fans of businesses are current customers. This is not surprising, because we “like” on Facebook what we like in the real world.

Knowing this, don’t expect that Facebook enables you to create customers out of thin air, that somehow Facebook is this magic potion that allows you to build relationships with people who previously had no idea who you are. That’s not what Facebook is for.

Facebook, other than potentially Facebook ads, is not really a customer acquisition vehicle. It is more of a loyalty and retention play because you are in front of people who have given you permission to do so, who already have expressed interest through their pressing of the Like button.

So in Facebook, what you are trying to accomplish is to keep your brand top of mind among people who have opted in, who have asked you to communicate to them.

And what are you trying to do in email?

Exactly the same thing. The whole point of email is to keep your brand top of mind among people who have opted in.

Metrics – another common area

Metrics is one of the areas where much commonality exists between email and Facebook.  Let’s explore the metrics similarity between the two.

• In email, we call them subscribes or opt-ins. In Facebook, we call them likes.
• In email, we call them unsubscribes when people say, “I’ve had enough.” In Facebook, fortunately, we also call them unsubscribes, although they could change that name at any time as they are want to do.
• In email, when somebody chooses to look at your message, we call them opens. In Facebook, those are called impressions, or  the new metric called “People Talking About This”.
• In email, when somebody takes an action, we call them clicks. In Facebook, we call it feedback.
• In email, if you take the message and share it with somebody else, we call it a forward. In Facebook, we call it a share.

But in all five of those, the physical actions, or behaviors, are fundamentally the same. We just call them something different.

Strategic integration

In terms of strategic integration between Facebook and email, look at how they work together from a scheduling standpoint. Do tests to find out what time of the day is the best time to send out emails to your subscribers by looking at the open rate at different times of the day for example at 8:00 in the morning, at 1pm over lunch time or at 5pm when people go home or during evenings (after hours). Then use this information to sync up your Facebook updates.

Another touch point is to gather email addresses in Facebook. Give people on your Facebook page a free e-book for example and when they download, ask them to sign up for your email newsletter.

These are just some of many examples of how you need to look at integration between your Facebook and email communication that is part of your ongoing marketing to your customers and prospects.

Let us know in the comments section what you think of these integrated communication ideas!

Remember to subscribe to the RSS for similar posts in future.