Email is alive and kicking, but so is social media. Neither is dead, dying, or going anywhere anytime soon. So, if both channels are sticking around, which one should you be prioritizing?
Well, as the world’s leading email service provider, we have our own opinions when it comes to email marketing vs. social media marketing (can you guess?). But feelings aside, we’re going to take a step back and examine the battlefield from an unbiased perspective…or at least we’re going to try to.
The Story of Social Media
Times have changed. Back in the day (yes, social media has been around that long now), you could blast messages to thousands of your social followers and get incredible organic reach. Today, not so much.
In 2019, to get eyes on your social pages and any of your posts, you have to invest money.
No money, no reach. No reach, no engagement. It’s that simple.
It’s a shame for everyone who invested massive amounts of time and money into growing their organic followings. Not to say organic social posts don’t still have a place—they do! They’re just a far cry from how effective they used to be.
It makes sense. Social feeds can only show so many messages at a given time. The social media platforms have just decided to prioritize content that’s supported by cash.
The Story of Email
Your email list, on the other hand, is entirely yours. As long as you’ve worked to create a legitimate, homegrown (never bought) list, you have the power to contact those email subscribers when you choose.
No social media algorithms. No pay-to-play conditions.
But, there is the issue of deliverability.
15% of global email never reaches the inbox—even though recipients are expecting it. To keep your marketing message arriving in your recipients’ inbox, you’ll need to maintain clean email lists and a positive sending reputation.
So, yes, getting your emails delivered takes a bit of time and work. But if you play by the rules and do your due diligence, your email program will be just fine.
On Facebook, your posts only reach an average of 6.4% of your total followers. Email, however, boasts an impressive 18% global open rate—and that doesn’t even take into account those who read your subject line and your preheader text but don’t open the email.
Email or Social Media—What Do the Users Prefer?
Our opinions aside, what say ye? Do you prefer to receive communications from businesses on social media or email?
Only 24% of people chose social media ads as a preferred method for B2C interaction. Another study showed that just 9% of people prefer to be contacted by brands on social media.
On the other hand, consumers prefer to initiate interactions with businesses on social media. In our commissioned study, 39% of people preferred to interact with a brand by following them on social media, while just 32% preferred to email a company.
What does this mean for your business? If you’re sending out communications, your customers likely want it to be through email. If your customers want to reach out to you, there’s a good chance they prefer to do it through social media.
This strengthens the argument that email marketing and social media aren’t opposing tools—they’re powerful channels to be used in specific ways.
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