All a Twitter follower (or Facebook fan) has to do to listen to you is click a “follow” or “like” button. That’s pretty non-committal; you
don’t know how interested those people actually are in what you have to say. After all, they have invested very little; all they’ve done
is click a button.
Email is a much more committed relationship. People have to do more than just hit a button. They have to enter their information on
your form and click to sign up. And if you’re using confirmed opt-in, (which you should) open an email and confirm that they want to
receive information from you.
Email: Commitment Through Confirmation
Are you sure you want
my ninja newsletter?
The one with the ninja tips?!
You better believe it!
Confirmation is a big part of the commitment process. Not only are you asking them (through your sign-up form) “do you want to
receive my information?” but you’re sending them an email saying, “are you really sure you want to receive my information?”
This can be used as a way to make sure they are serious about hearing from you and serious about one day becoming a paying
customer. This is a lot like qualifying a sale – basically making sure that they are serious about doing business with you.
In addition to helping increase your audience, think of this
combination as a two-tier approach to prospective customers.
1st tier: Social media followers: people who might be interested.
2nd tier: email subscribers: people who took the time to sign up and
confirm, tells you that they care about what you are offering them.
Social Media: Larger Audience, Less Commitment
Hopefully my post doesn’t
get lost amongst the 100s
of others each day.
Unfortunately social media doesn’t have the ability to qualify any of the people you are talking to, so you’re never sure if they are
really serious about buying your product or signing up to your service.
But social media can still have a place with your online marketing. It’s an effective way to get the word out about your business and
what you offer.
It’s also a good tool to help you keep an eye on what people are saying about your company. You can then better serve your
customers by understanding their wants and needs.
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