A recent study done by The Economist Intelligence Unit and Lyris found that email still has more leverage in the purchasing process than social media or blogs.
The report found that there is a disconnect between what marketers think customers want and what customers actually cite as having the most sway in the buying process. While customers like social media for promotional purposes, they strongly preferred to learn about the company and engage with the brand via the company’s website and email.
Think about your own habits – how do you prefer to be reached? And, also, consider how successful companies take this into account for their own customers. For example, Facebook – the leading social media site – gives users the option to receive emails about friend requests, updates, and more. Why? — Because users rely on email to get the majority of their information.
So, what does this mean for your company? Having an engaging, informative, and high-touch website is vital for your customer base, as it’s their preferred way to learn about what you do and how you can help them – and the best way to drive consumers to your website is via active email campaigns and social media posts.
This news, though not entirely surprising, should give you even more incentive to integrate your marketing with email as an option. A few simple things you could consider: send out an email newsletter on a regular basis to keep clients informed via email, or include a sign-up option on your blog so that interested parties can receive your posts directly to their inbox.
Need help building a social website that integrates email? We can help.
