Social media and email marketing compliment each other.

Back in October after reading a Wall Street Journal story about the demise of email, I asked the following:

Is the growing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter slowly killing off email as an effective marketing tool?

“Death of email” articles like the one from the Journal assume that two methods of communication cannot coexist, each having a unique role to play. For decades now, television and radio have managed to survive — and even compliment each other — even though many media experts believed that TV would kill off the radio box. Likewise, the Internet was supposed to kill off everything — but it hasn’t (though I know some magazine and newspaper publishers who believe the Net gave them two shots in the hat).

Email and social media both have a specific utility. One does certain things better than the other — and that utility can and will change over time. Right now email works best for longer messages, communicating with more personalized, targeted audiences, and adding embedded content. Social networking offers greater immediacy, ease of use, a sense of personal empowerment, and potentially higher levels of frequency.

Email and social networking sites are used in different ways and communicate different kinds of information. One easily compliments the other. Like many of you, I tweet, participate on social networking sites, and send out and receive tons of email.  (I also blog, manage several web sites, and participate in various forums, but that’s another story!)  I don’t see the two as competing for my attention. I use them in the way that I need to and choose my tool according to the task I have in mind.

We’re also finding out that heavy social media users are also above-average users of email play. A Nielsen report back in September showed that social media use did not decrease email usage but actually increased it.

Says Nielsen’s Jon Gibs –

It’s perfectly logical that as people make connections though social media, they maintain those connections outside of the specific platform and may extend those connections to email, a phone conversation or even in-person meetings.

For marketers who worry that social media are making their email programs obsolete, nothing can be further from the truth. The strategy, as always, is to use media that mirror your target audience’s media behavior. In many cases, that means developing your presence in social networks and having a robust email marketing program.

Breaking news: insulting your target market is not good strategy.

In our enthusiasm to convert prospects to our brand of marketing religion, there is a temptation to cross the dividing line between simply uncovering customer needs, an essential part of the marketing process, to implying that the prospect is being wrong-headed or just plain stupid by not seeing how badly they need what we are selling.

If we’re not careful about the way we uncover needs and present those needs to the prospect — who then agrees that the need exists and decides to resolve it — it is easy to go from simply over-selling our ideas or product, to bullying and insulting the customer. This dangerous transformation is easier to see in others than ourselves. From my perspective I am just being passionate about my product. I know it is the right solution for my prospect. My job, for their sake, is to get them to “see the light” and make the purchase. Or, so I say. . .

Here’s a case in point.

As a pilot and long-time follower of the airline industry, I often come upon publications and consultants that target the airline industry.  Recently I watched a video posted on a blog written by airline branding consultant, Shashank Nigam. Nigam is a very bright person; I love his energy and enthusiasm for what he does. His blog is fun to read and very well designed.

The video in question consists of Nigam interviewing Paula Berg, Manager of Emerging Media for Southwest Airlines. Nigam’s raison d’etre is social media. A quick scan of his blog makes it clear that he is convinced that all airlines everywhere in the world would solve their marketing problems if they were more committed to social media. If they hired Nigam to help them do so, that wouldn’t be such a bad idea either.

Although a little awkward in places, I found the interview with Berg fascinating, especially her refreshing openness to the uncontrolled nature of social media. She’s got the perfect attitude to be doing this for Southwest. In response to one question, she corrects Nigam by insisting that “you don’t tame the beast” of social media. “You just get in the ring,” she tells him.

At this point in the interview, Nigam is asking Berg from Southwest Airlines to tell other airlines how to use social media. “What is the one tip you would give to other airlines?” he asks.

Now, if that seems like an innocuous question, consider this. The airline industry is as competitive and proud an industry as there is. Off the record and out of sight of microphones and cameras, there is as much idea sharing as you will find in other industries. But it is still conservative enough and competitive enough to reject the orgy-like, incestuous mingling that takes place in some other industries (like the Internet and social media?).

My sense is that Berg realized how absurd the question was the moment she heard it and answered in such generalities that she was neither giving away Southwest’s marketing secrets, nor insulting her competitors.

I wish I could say the same for Nigam. The question was itself insulting. First, you don’t solve your prospect’s problems by getting a competitor to offer the solution. Do you have satisfied clients that have used your ideas or products and can be used as examples or provide testimonials for your own sales presentation? That’s fine. Use them in that context but don’t ask them to offer advice to your prospects.

Second, the question implies that Nigam believes that most airline executives are so dim-witted and slow that he needs to call on another airline to tell them what to do. As I said at the outset, it can be frustrating when we believe we have the solution to the customer’s problem and they seem not to accept either ownership of the problem or our solution. However, banging them over the head and shouting “Stupid!” is not the way to change behavior. It doesn’t work on my dog. It doesn’t work on me. It doesn’t work on airline industry executives.

There’s a lot more here than can be covered in one post. Next time I want to write about industry culture and change. I think that goes to the heart of Nigam’s frustration — and those of many of us who are sure we have the answer, and are trying to get the right people to listen.