These days, social and collaborative Web 2.0 applications are on most companies’ must-have lists. Building tools that allow your customers and clients to participate in the process of learning about your offerings, and to share their experiences in using your products and services, is an expectation, not a nice-to-have. Partnering with an experienced IT service provider that is well-versed in developing Web 2.0 systems can help you leverage these powerful, customer-pleasing capabilities. 

Once you have the Web 2.0 applications your company needs to serve its clients and customers, it’s time to take things to the next level with a cohesive marketing strategy that spans all your technologies. Integrating your email, Facebook and LinkedIn strategies into one marketing campaign doesn’t have to be hard. And, with all the following benefits, smart companies are syncing their efforts to get big results.

·   Social drives email opt-in:  On Facebook, you can drive visitors to Like your page and to opt into your email list with a custom welcome tab. On LinkedIn, you can send out teasers promoting your next email campaign, with a link to an email sign-up page.

·   Email drives social campaigns:  Including social share buttons in all your email messages can increase traffic, followers and interactions.

·   Increase the reach of your message:  Your entire email list may not be on Facebook and LinkedIn, and not all your fans and followers may have opted into your email list yet. Cover all your bases with an integrated marketing campaign.

·   Increase the potential of word-of-mouth:  Using sharing buttons and sending customers and followers to an email list sign-up not only increases your reach, but it also increases the opportunities for word-of-mouth communications.

·   Integration helps nurture a lead further along. Perhaps one of your leads received an email from you and then clicked over to your Facebook page. There, he or she received more information and enjoyed your Facebook content, helping to lead the prospect further along the conversion funnel.

Socialize Your Email Marketing

To get started integrating your email and social media strategies, embed social media links into your emails. This task can be an introduction to not-so-savvy social media folks while also encouraging them to take action – to follow your accounts. You can also ask email recipients to share and comment on content with your own buttons embedded in the emails.

Build a Helpful Toolbox

Use tools to help integrate your strategies. Here are several worth checking out:

·   Vanity URLs:  If you haven’t done so already, create a custom URL for each social media page you set up. Try to use the same name for all your platforms if possible (Facebook = facebook.com/mycompany, for example).

·   Embedded Like buttons:  Add a Facebook Like button to all your channels, from your blog to your email messages.

·   Easily manage multiple feeds for consistency with third-party scheduling dashboards.

·   Track social media using widely available tools.

·   Use third-party apps to create landing pages for your marketing campaigns across different platforms.

How to Integrate Your Message

A total Web 2.0 campaign should focus on a unified message, stretching across different platforms and complementing and leveraging each one’s strengths. Though it may sound complicated, this process can be really simple.

Use your email subject line to define your message. Keep your writing clear and tight, using no more than 50 characters. State what your readers can expect from your email, including what’s in it for them, and what action you want them to take as a result.

Modify your message for Facebook. Keeping brevity and clarity in mind, develop your message into an informative post. Add a compelling image, and you’re all set.

How about you? How do you integrate your marketing efforts on Facebook, LinkedIn and email into one cohesive Web 2.0 campaign? Our knowledgeable team can help you build Web 2.0 applications that use the powers of the social and collaborative web to work for your organization. Reach out with questions and to learn about the IT services Key Concepts Knowledgebase offers.