These days, there are so many options that help you maintain a relationship with your customers, or potential customers. But, most communications are done via one or other of, or a combination of, Facebook, e-mail and Twitter. So, does it matter which you use to get your internet marketing message across? Well, you wouldn’t think so, because, on the surface, aren’t they all variations on the same theme, the theme of social interaction? Yes, they are, but there’s a certain “x factor” that makes each one special in its own right; the trick is, how to make them all work together as an internet marketing team.

It’s In The Numbers

A recent study conducted by Exact Target Research Series did a breakdown of the numbers involved with some surprising results. Of the online consumers surveyed, 93 percent stated they find at least one permission based e-mail in their inbox per day. They’re the subscribers. 38 percent claimed to be a fan of at least one brand on Facebook. They’re the fans.

But, here’s the big surprise – only 5 percent of Twitter users say they follow at least one brand. But, of that 5 percent, 37 percent said that they would be likely to buy something from a brand they followed, compared with only 27 percent of e-mail subscribers and 17 percent of Facebook fans. I tend to spend a good deal of time on Facebook, so I’d have thought the Facebook number might be higher, but that could be just because I spend more time there.

Regardless, you don’t need to be a maths wiz to realize that there are a lot more people receiving and being influenced by e-mail as opposed to Twitter and Facebook, but all three show excellent rates of success so it’s a matter of getting them all to work together for you.

Make Social Media Campaigns Consistent

One of the problems with branding across the various venues is consistency, which is leaving many users confused as to where to go to get the information they want. So, if I want a company’s monthly discount coupon, can I get it by becoming a Twitter follower, or a Facebook fan, or an e-mail subscriber? The answer is to use cross-promotion so that users are using all three venues – by announcing Twitter contest winners via e-mail, tweeting about the latest e-mail offer, letting Facebook fans know they can get a coupon via Twitter, etc.

All this takes time, of course, and there’s cost involved, two commodities most businesses don’t have an abundance of. So, it’s important to decide where to put your time and your money, so try different strategies and monitor what works and what doesn’t. Abandon the campaigns that aren’t working and try something different. The whole social media environment is so new that there’s no tried and trusted methodology to follow to success, so be a pioneer and blaze a new trail via social media. But, what is certain is that social media should be an integral part of your internet marketing strategy.

Give The Customers What They Want

Even though there’s no proven formula for success using social media, users have expressed preferences for how they’d like social media campaigns to be conducted, so here are some tips to follow based on users’ preferences:

  • Make the experience worth their while
  • Acknowledge and act on their preferences
  • Make a genuine show of gratitude for their business
  • Deliver products of the highest quality
  • Be honest and upfront
  • Provide first-rate customer service

You’re probably already doing all of the above in your business, right? But, it doesn’t do any harm to be reminded about what your customers, and potential customers, want, and, if you’re not already doing all these, maybe it’s time to re-think your approach. But, the important question here is, are you covering all these points in your Facebook, Twitter and e-mail campaigns? If not, that’s where your focus needs to be.

In the long run, what matters are the statistics you see after running a social media marketing campaign, but you can start by putting your efforts into areas that you feel may be of most interest and benefit to your customers. If your customers are more socially active, chances are they’d enjoy community events and interactive games on Facebook; if they’re always on the go, Twitter may be a better way to connect with them, rather than e-mail.

Again, this is a whole new arena, and adjustments will no doubt be necessary, so, as with any other internet marketing campaign, be sure to check your campaign statistics regularly to make sure you’re investing your time and money wisely.

Social media is playing a greater role in business today and in internet marketing in particular, and getting your marketing message across all available social media platforms in a consistent manner should be your goal.

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