Need Help Building Your Social Media Subscriber Lists?

Social media is a powerful way to engage prospects and customers, but it still pales in comparison to email

We’ve all seen the movie. We know how it ends. The mad scientist is certain he has full control of his creature. Harnessing the creature’s power will make him invincible. Of course, the creature has other plans.

That’s pretty much the ultimate fate of any brand that believes it owns the relationship with its audiences on social media platforms. Sorry, but you only rent that access. Rates are getting steeper. And access can be revoked at any time.

You’re following the plot line of your favorite creature feature if you allow social media platforms to own the relationship you have with customers. It’s crucial to make a direct connection with them. You need their contact information. Build that subscriber list.

Disintermediation

It’s a big word, and you need to put it to work. Disintermediation is the reduction of the use of intermediaries, and an intermediary is exactly what social media platforms are. You can’t talk to your followers unless the social media network permits it – even when your followers want to hear from you.

But what are you supposed to do? Social media is where everybody is.

No. False.

Let’s look at some numbers. OptinMonster tells us that:

• 4 billion users have social media accounts.
• About 80% of all Internet users, or 56% of the world’s population, have at least one social media account.

Therefore, social media platforms are a necessary evil. Marketers must jump through their hoops to connect with consumers.

No. False. Absolutely incorrect.

• There are 3.8 billion people using email, and you don’t need a social media platform’s permission to contact them.
• 60% of them prefer to receive promotional information this way, as opposed to just 20% who prefer social media.
• Email has a conversion rate of 6.05% versus just 1.9% for social media.
• 58% of people check their email before doing anything else in the morning, as opposed to 14% who look at social media.
• 60% of consumers subscribe to a brand’s email list specifically to get promotional messages, while just 20 percent follow brands on social media for that purpose.
• The same number, 60% of consumers, say they’ve made a purchase because of a marketing message they received by email, but only 12.5% say they’d consider clicking or tapping on the “buy” button on social media.
• Email successfully reaches up to 85% of the people you send it to, and across all industries, it has an open rate of nearly 23%. Meanwhile, social media has an overall engagement rate of just .58%.
• More than half of us check our personal email accounts at least 10 times a day.

Own the connection

There’s no substitute for social media. It excels at building brand loyalty because you can engage and have conversations with prospects and customers. Social media is a true community-builder, allowing you to build brand recognition and generate curiosity. Best of all, social media is the most efficient way to draw attention to what’s happening on your website. Create deep content for inbound marketing, and use social media to let people know they can find it on your website.

Getting an email address from your social media followers lets you own the connection with them. You’re not renting it, and an algorithm change won’t make you invisible to them. These people have given you permission to contact them directly, and they expect you to use it to deliver targeted, personalized messages.

Social media drives attention, but email drives sales. Social media sparks engagement, but email increases customer retention.

Email marketing delivers a great ROI

Social media challenges you every single time you use it to engage your followers. How can you stand out from the other posts? You can be distracted from the important objective of providing value because you’re too busy trying to figure out how to draw attention.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just make an offer instead of fighting to be clever? What’s the ROI on clever, anyway? According to HubSpot, email generates $38 for every $1 spent. That’s a 3,800% return on your investment.

It’s estimated that American brands will spend more than $350 million in email advertising this year. It’ll yield them $13.3 billion. And they won’t need permission from that creature known as social media. So, how is building your subscriber list coming along?

We can help you make sure there are plenty of reasons for people to spend time on your website. Learn more about how to use content to attract, convert, close, and delight new customers.