1. Our February meeting focused on an often looked-over, yet integral part of your social media plan:  Email Marketing.

The three often misunderstood concepts for email marketing include:

Building Your List...How to do it the right way

Though you can purchase lists or gather lists through third-party marketing, neither are ways to get true subscribers. Oftentimes, people who receive these third-party marketing emails will consider it a violation of their privacy and mark your content as spam. Instead, build your list the right way...

1. Put a subscription form on your website, Facebook Page or Blog
2. Add a "Get our Email Updates and Specials" URL or QR code to your print marketing
3. Suggest customers get on the email list in your on-hold phone message

Generating Strong Marketing Ideas

One reason people don't use email as a marketing tool is because they don't know what to send. In addition to newsletters, the following are some easy to impliment ideas.

1. Create contests that work together with your social media spaces like a contest for generating new "likes"
2. Offer seasonal coupons, share industry trends or highlight special products to reach customers in different areas of your business
3. Give weekly (or even daily) specials via email, depending on your industry and the buying behavior of your customers.

Keeping the Integrity

Aside from building your list properly with opt-ins, email marketers should consider the personal nature of social media, even in email.

1. Use a person's email as the sender instead of an "info@" address to create a friendly rapport
2. Give your subscribers what you said you'd give them when they opted in...if you offered weekly specials, send them weekly specials!
3. Ask for replies to your email. Encourage feedback, conversation and interaction. Don't make it a one-way conversation.

Guest discussion leader, Betsie Hagerman, who has developed international email campaigns with lists in the hundred thousands, also suggested the following tips:

1.  Have  a strong strategy to get opens with strong calls to action
2. Use 50 characters or less in the subject line
3. Watch for sales spikes by monitoring your Google analytics
4. Add opt-in text to your email subscription areas "you are opting in to receive...," including:

• Online account registration
• Information Request forms

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