By Bob Speyer and Ilana Youngheim, Web Success Team

Contrary to popular belief, email is not dead or even on life support. In fact it is a lifeline to your pocketbook. Ask yourself, “How many times a day do you check your email?” I check mine so many times I can’t event count. Offers, requests, correspondence and information pour in (spam checker permitting) and I go through my ritual of read, save and delete.

According to a February 2012 survey from ExactTarget, 91 percent of U.S. consumers report checking their email at least once per day, compared to 57 percent for Facebook, and 14 percent for Twitter.

How Email Marketing Complement Social Media

Email Marketing is a complement to social media with neither mutually exclusive. Email is important to help grow your audience and build your channels along with social networking channels like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest. When people go on their Facebook or Twitter it may be harder to get your content to them but when they sign up to your email database they will get the content directly. Look at emails as a significant business asset.

Building your email list and doing it correctly can help drive traffic and boost sales. There are steps you can take to help build your email marketing list and help drive traffic to your site.  A small bagel and donut bakery in Florida was able to grow its list from 3 emails to over 300 through in-store sweepstakes, Facebook coupons and website first-time visitor coupons. Here are a few tips on building an email list

Facebook Coupons / Sweepstakes Cross Promotion

On your company’s Facebook page offer a coupon that customers can download. In order to get the coupon they have to enter their email address. It’s great to also put the promotion on your website as well as your Twitter page. This way customers are signing up on their own for something they want. Not only are you getting email addresses but you will increase your fans on Facebook as well.

For those who may just go to the offer on your website offer, perhaps have another promotion posted for first time visitors. They can download a coupon for a discount where they have to enter a valid email address. This can be an ongoing thing where you can continually grow your email database.

Outside Advertising

Use radio and newspapers ads to drive customers to your Facebook or Twitter page. Telling customers go to our Facebook page and sign up now for a promotion gets attention. That alone can collect hundreds of email addresses and increase likes on your fan page.

Blog Engage

Bloggers are an effective way to help you promote your business products. Creating relationships with bloggers is key. Send the blogger free product for them to try and write a review for their subscribers and/ or offer product for their viewers in a sweeps to giveaway on their site. The blogger can help drive traffic to your Facebook page telling their visitors to sign up to win or leave a comment with their email address to win. This will give you another chance to increase your email list.

E-Newsletter Landing Pages Generate Leads

E-Newsletters are an excellent way to communicate, educate and offer promotions to increase brand awareness and generate leads. Here are 10 steps to take to optimize your landing page to get more customers and prospects to sign up for your content:

1. Make the Benefits Clear: Advantages of signing up for the e-newsletter.
2. Use Visuals: A picture tells a 1000 words.
3. Link to a Sample: Where further explanation and enticing copy can get them to take action.
4. Make the Sign-Up Above the Fold: Don’t have them scroll, hunt and peck for the call to action.
5. Limit Sign-Up Fields: No more than 5 to 7 fields to fill in. Quick and easy.
6. Privacy Statement: No spam intended.
7. Button Says: Sign-Up or Subscribe, never submit or click here.
8. Eliminate Distractions: Keep it simple, clear and concise.
9. Testimonials and Awards: Credibility is always a positive.
10. Graphically Pleasing: Use colors and graphics to give it a polished and professional look.

The Final Analysis

Your goal is to make the process as simple as possible for your customers. Don’t over complicate things. They are giving you their email address in return for something OF VALUE. Anything less is a waste of their time and yours.

Is email marketing a part of your social media plan? It must be!

If you liked this article you may also like:

• Is Email Marketing Relevant in the Age of Social Networking?
• Guidelines to Running a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
• Integrating Social Media into Your Email Marketing Campaign