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Earlier this week, I spoke with an executive director at a large non-profit who wanted to know how she could replace email marketing with Twitter.
They have been using email marketing as the prime way to engage current supporters, but had been less than desirable results in recent months.
After spending considerable time discussing their strategy and past results, I had to break the news to her:
Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing
Just like you would never replace socks for shoes, or boxer shorts for swimming trunks, Twitter should not replace email marketing. There are several reasons for this, which I’ve outlined in this graph below:
Cheryl Phillips and I will be going into greater detail during next Tuesday’s teleconference, but I’ll mention a few points here:
Twitter strengths:
- Very cheap and easy to use.
- Highly viral – An open network that is unlike any other social media site.
- Organize base – around events, around campaigns, Tweetups, Hashtags.
Email marketing strengths:
- Highly targeted messages that aren’t limited to 140 characters.
- Activity can be measured, even down to the user level.
- Messages can be personalized in response to each individual choices – people can opt-in to different lists.
How can they work together?
Twitter folks will opt-in to receive emails IF your content kicks ass. Having a blog with an email list is a essential. Email recipients will opt-in to your Twitter feed. Make sure you include your Twitter link in all of your emails. You could also give folks a way to retweet a message directly from an email, like in this example here.
Both email marketing and Twitter share one very important principle: Social web marketing is all about the opt-in. You can blast out a Twitter stream or to spam to an email list. But it won’t work. What works is creating a force, like a magnet, that draws people to you.
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Fresh post! Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing – http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
@christinaebert Fluent in email marketing? Did you comment here? http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing…
“Just like you would never replace socks for shoes, or boxer shorts for swimming trunks, Twitter should not replace email marketing.”…
Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
Why Twitter is not a replacement for email marketing http://tinyurl.com/lleumq
Terrific post, John! Nonprofits need to remember that many of their supporters may not know a Twitter from a fritter. Multiple channels have to be used: mail, e-mail, traditional pr strategies such as press releases, plus social media. There is an explosion of ways to communicate and they all work together.
.-= Joanne Fritz´s last blog ..Nonprofit Leader Predicts Longer Recession for Nonprofits =-.
Great idea to include a tweetable link in your newsletter!
.-= Peggy Dolane´s last blog ..FreeRangeMom: Helping ADHD children master the concept of time (good artilce in ADDitude mag) http://bit.ly/OsjTf =-.
Just like any kind of marketing, it’s not just one thing. There must be a combination of things working together. I must say there is no better way to get a headline out to someone like you can with Twitter.
I have two comments that I have trouble with in the article. The first is the implication that Twitter is not highly targeted. Twitter CAN be a very targeted way to communicate or sell your message.
The second is that Twitter can also be very personalized and is easily measured. It may take a little up front work, but Twitter is one of the most powerful tools to stay in contact with and sell to your customers, clients or prospects.
I do agree however that it should be part of a solution with email as another part. The biggest trouble with email is getting lost in the spam folder and the biggest problem with Twitter is, like Joanne says, that most people still don’t know how to use it.
.-= Pol´s last blog ..Twitter Automation for MLM Head 2 Head Day 7 – Updated =-.
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