Small Business Focus: Do You Need Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing?

email marketing and social media marketing

Small business owners and their marketing teams are strapped for time.

 With so many different priorities and initiatives to juggle, it’s imperative that they’re spending their time on marketing campaigns wisely. Email marketing is a tried-and-true method but much has been made about social media marketing in the recent past, to the point where almost every small business team has at least once pondered, “Should we be on social?”

social media marketing email marketing

Because customers are more likely to trust and purchase from companies that are visible on social media, every business and brand should have a strong social media presence to build relationships with customers. However, social media activity should be in line with what value they bring to the business. What is the ROI? Is social media bringing in new customers, or does it foster loyalty with existing ones? What exactly is the business gaining from social media?

 Social Media vs. Email

For businesses solely interested in sales, many studies have shown that email marketing is where to spend time. A 2014 summary from McKinsey & Company showed that email is three times more likely to lead to a sale and about 40 times more effective in acquiring new customers. Additionally, on average email sales have an order value of 17% higher than sales obtained with social media.

 These numbers are impressive, but they will not be the same for all businesses. Before ditching social in favor of an email-only strategy businesses should take a deep dive into their own numbers. Learn how the current social media marketing campaigns hold up in terms of sales, lead generation, and website traffic. It’s also important to calculate how time spent on social media is paying off for the business. If the numbers are impressive, rework current strategies to find an even balance between time spent and rewards.

The Benefits of Social Media

While hard numbers are important, there are some more abstract concepts that are more difficult to measure but are vital for any social media strategy. A strategic and powerful social media presence has immense value for small businesses in particular. In today’s Internet-fueled world, customers expect businesses to be where they hang out – and in many cases that’s social media networks. Social media profiles make it easy for businesses to engage with customers and build genuine relationships with them.

 Social media etiquette dictates that businesses should consistently deliver value to their customers. Time spent on social media that helps businesses connect in meaningful ways with consumers is not time wasted.

email marketing and social media marketing

Because customers are more likely to trust and purchase from companies that are visible on social media, every business and brand should have a strong social media presence to build relationships with customers. However, social media activity should be in line with what value they bring to the business. What is the ROI? Is social media bringing in new customers, or does it foster loyalty with existing ones? What exactly is the business gaining from social media?

Social Media vs. Email

For businesses solely interested in sales, many studies have shown that email marketing is where to spend time. A 2014 summary from McKinsey & Company showed that email is three times more likely to lead to a sale and about 40 times more effective in acquiring new customers. Additionally, on average email sales have an order value of 17% higher than sales obtained with social media.

 These numbers are impressive, but they will not be the same for all businesses. Before ditching social in favor of an email-only strategy businesses should take a deep dive into their own numbers. Learn how the current social media marketing campaigns hold up in terms of sales, lead generation, and website traffic. It’s also important to calculate how time spent on social media is paying off for the business. If the numbers are impressive, rework current strategies to find an even balance between time spent and rewards.

The Benefits of Social Media

While hard numbers are important, there are some more abstract concepts that are more difficult to measure but are vital for any social media strategy. A strategic and powerful social media presence has immense value for small businesses in particular. In today’s Internet-fueled world, customers expect businesses to be where they hang out – and in many cases that’s social media networks. Social media profiles make it easy for businesses to engage with customers and build genuine relationships with them.

 Social media etiquette dictates that businesses should consistently deliver value to their customers. Time spent on social media that helps businesses connect in meaningful ways with consumers is not time wasted.

About Nick Rojas

Nick Rojas is a business consultant and writer who lives in Los Angeles and Chicago. He has consulted small and medium-sized enterprises for over twenty years.