There’s been a lot of debate recently about the future of email: is it pushing forward stronger than ever or on the verge of extinction, about to be overrun by all-inclusive social networks?

As an e-marketing specialist, I find it hard to imagine the internet without email. No matter what you use email for, I believe that we, as online content consumers, will always need our inboxes to aggregate, create, organize, and search the hundreds of online data points we create daily as we navigate the web. Email is the only private online location where users can store and create content with very few limitations or restrictions. Where else can you manage your social networks, businesses, bills, family, friends, banks, job searches, and more in one location?

At ListEngage, we help our clients with email and social media marketing daily, so we see the benefits and drawbacks of each: email is a great relationship building tool but not a great prospect acquisition channel, while social media, if used intelligently, is ideal for prospect acquisition and qualification but lacks the “direct contact” that opt-in email does.

I’ve been really impressed with a company called Groupon lately, that seems to be using email and social media as a dynamic 1-2 punch for spreading their daily deals and messages. Click here to read more about the union of email and social media, and how Groupon is delivering a winning e-marketing TKO.

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Here’s what I had to say on the subject…

“As an organization, when invited to work with a client, although we may not initially feel one way or anothertowards, let’s say, the medical device industry for example—we do feel strongly about the real-life people, friends, and partners that we support with our efforts. So, when a client asks us to engage their audience because they don’t have the expertise, the resources, or “bandwidth” to execute their social media strategy, we lend a hand.

In my mind, this new “digital ghostwriting push” is actually nothing new: popular brands have been doing it for years—via customer service “response” letters, pre-recorded phone calls, emails and direct mail pieces. This is just the latest version of busy people outsourcing their surplus work to others who they have trained and who they trust.”

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Read Dave’s Article…

Read more from Dave’s Blog — Useful Arts

Coke's Gettin' Social

The next time you lather up in the shower or crack open a Coke it might not seem like anything has changed about your favorite product, but somewhere in the inner workings of these corporate giants—something is shifting.

Coca-Cola and Unilever are just two companies that have announced that they plan to shift from website-based product campaigns in 2010, to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to propel their latest product launches.

Basically, Coke and Unilever are willing to bet that they can attract more people (and more brand advocates) by entering into social media spaces where people already are rather than trying to bring people to a Coke-Zero or a Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty” site.

And we agree…

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For questions regarding your company’s social media marketing plan, contact us here.

Though there might not be a “magic bullet” to solve all your problems, we do have some tried and true solutions to save some sanity in the future. Here are our

Top 5 Ways to Tackle Your New “Social Calendar”:

1)      Delegate: Debby from Marketing—you’re on Facebook Fan Pages. Carol from PR—you’re in charge of tweeting all company media coverage on Twitter. Ok, Go!

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In the past the question, “Are you on Twitter” was used as a code for “Are you hip to Social Media”? Not anymore. You’ve heard of Twitter, the buzz is everywhere—the Presidential campaign, Time Magazine cover stories, the Iran elections, your Dad’s Retirement Fly-fishing Club, etc…

So maybe you’ve put your marketing hat on, created a profile and tweeted for the first time: “Just trying to figure this twitter thing out.” And the response? Not exactly staggering.

For the average incoming user, marketing on Twitter is like standing by the freeway pitching your product at the top of your lungs-and hoping to get a lead. There’s too much noise, commotion, and distraction; even if one in a million people actually hears your message, they’re not exactly going to pull over and offer you their business. So why-if it’s so hard to gain followers or attention-is Twitter worth your time? The key lies in your “Engageability”-or, how well you brand, build relationships, and monitor the Twitter universe during your stay there.

Here are three very basic examples to help illustrate the point…

You own Slushtastic Slushies and there are a two other Slushy dealers in town. Neither of them come close to the supreme taste and quality of your slushies but Ken’s Slush-o-rama is right off the highway and Nana’s Slushy Shack is two blocks away from the Elementary school. Where do you get your edge then? Well, you have something that Ken and Nana don’t: The power of Twitter…

To read the entire Twitter Strategy Article follow this link…

First of all, we’d like to say “Congrats” to those of you who have held their breath and leapt into the often uninviting waters of social media—despite fears and disbelief that “this thing really works”. Believe it or not, you’re still ahead of the curve as far as Web 2.0 users go, and you should be proud that you’ve already taken the plunge.

We’re sorry that you’re not John Mayer, Shaq, Lindsay Lohan or a boatload of other famous people who instantly attained millions of followers upon their entry to Twitterville. And it’s really too bad that your company might not be as exciting to Facebook users as McDonald’s—whose actual business page gets trumped by a grassroots-created page with almost 2 million fans! Don’t worry, we still like you.

The hard-truth is that social media requires time and effort, and you won’t be instantly popular unless you’re already wildy popular in the mainstream media. Even then, there are stark examples of both how well and how poorly well known brands are doing on Twitter, Facebook, and the likes. Check out Kodak versus Fuji Film; Pizza Hut versus Dominos. Some sink, others swim.

The honest truth is, you have to “work for it” with social media—and we’ll be the first to admit, it’s not easy: we’ve been grappling with ways to promote our Facebook page on a closed network that’s usually meant for chatting and posting funny pictures. The question to ask yourself is—what do I have to offer that people will be interested in (and what makes my company unique)? Whether that means offering daily discounts, positioning yourself as an “expert” in your field by writing helpful blog posts, or using social media as a forum for direct customer relations, your business will dictate the answers. But the first step is doing it, and doing it consistently.

Just think: if you had just left your two-wheeler in the street the first time you skinned your knee, would you have ever learned to ride a bike? If you hadn’t stopped calling until she agreed to see a movie with you, would you have those two beautiful kids and that stunning wife? The point is, every success story starts with a challenge. Sure, adopting social media is tough, especially when it it takes away from “more important things” like paying bills and making money, but we guarantee that it will pay off in dividends if you treat it like any other challenge, and just “keep at it.”

For now, take some comfort in knowing that you’re not the only one who’s sitting in the office scratching their head and asking “But how the heck does this fit into my business plan?” and be proud—thinking about these problems and finding very few solutions is still a thousand times better than just sweeping them under the rug. Give yourself a pat on the back; then start taking the next steps to help build your social media brand (and boost you social media ego!).

Think you might still need a jumpstart to your social media strategy? ListEngage says “Don’t Go It Alone”, we can help you plan the steps you’ll need to take in order to start thriving in social media: contact us or send us a tweet @ListEngage. We’re here to help.