Emails Vs. Social Media. Does it have to be a choice?

Interesting that some of the recent email vs. social media effectiveness data is filtering down through the community, and surprisingly being quoted back by people who traditionally have had very little interest in anything related to marketing before.

Case in point this week when one of my clients sent me a recent review that took a position that emails were more effective than social media marketing activities.

As someone that's been involved in marketing for 30 years I never tire of seeing people have these 'grade 5' type arguments about who's better, as if there has to be a clear winner and loser.

Well news flash. They are both useful, strong and proven in marketing, and as part of a balanced and blended promotional strategy will both provide value.

Although they will do so in slightly different ways.

Let's start with email. Certainly it's been around longer and more people have email accounts than social media accounts, proving that the potential audience will be bigger. Very true. However the real drawback with email is that the laws that have evolved over the last decade or so against spam, are quite severe and it goes without saying that email is really only for existing clients that have given you prior approval to communicate with them (by way of a double opt-in process).
Naturally once that has been lawfully done, email becomes a viable and sustainable channel through which your business can communicate over time to customers.

Social Media on the other hand has been around less time and has less people involved in it. However unlike email you can communicate with prospects, qualified leads and former clients as well as current clients alike.

As such it can help you gain a raised market awareness within all of these groups in an open, social and engaging way.

Clearly, this is not a black and white, two dimensional argument. There are serious shades of grey here and all businesses should include elements of both of these promotional tools to their marketing plan to help ensure success.

Let us know. Which one do you prefer and why?

And until next time, good marketing and good luck.

Daniele.