The influence of Social Media is too stark and significant to be ignored in the online world. To put it simply, your clients, members, existing customers, and prospects are invariably engaged in a host of online activities; they are posting on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, forwarding most-watched YouTube videos, or perhaps putting up comments on blogs. They are out there engaged in interesting conversations and sharing meaningful information relevant to your industry or business domain. 

Are you a part of online interactions?
The question to be asked is: Are you an integral part of that ongoing conversation? If the answer is NO, then you may be losing out on a great opportunity to widen the scope of your marketing. If you want to leverage it, you should implement a strategy that links up Social Media marketing with e-mail marketing. Let us understand a few aspects that are absolutely crucial to gain from a strategy that combines both the forms of marketing.

Be present where your clients and prospects are!
First and foremost, be present where your customers happen to be! Obviously, different people seek different avenues to communicate and source information like Twitter’s streaming feed or the Facebook posts. Those who are more professionally inclined will visit LinkedIn. It is necessary to combine Social Media and e-mail marketing to reach out to them. 

Tips to keep your customers engaged
The issue here for marketers is how to get going. Employ your e-mail list to have a meaningful Social Media presence. It sure will help bolster your Social Media visibility by inviting your current subscribers to follow you as well as connect with you on Facebook and Twitter. This will set the ball rolling. How do you really engage them on Social Media websites? Well, you can do it the same way as with your e-mail marketing – by providing relevant, interesting, and informative content. 

Content is king on social media, too! Fortunately, you are not required to generate brand-new content to hold the user’s attention on Social Networking sites. Your newsletters will provide you with ample material. You may repurpose key snippets of articles already created or compiled for e-mail newsletters. Treat them as ‘microcontent’.

Invite users back to your site or blog
A teaser plus a link back to your archives of newsletter or posts is all that you need in the beginning to build a presence on Social Media sites. Invite users back to your site or blog. If the site serves as your online hub, then consider Social Media platforms as your satellites that will let you extend your brand presence.

Don’t just sell, share as well
When you put up updates on Social media, make it a point to include links back to your site, blog or newsletter archive where people can get more information about your products or services. Last but not the least, ensure that you are not merely selling or mindlessly marketing. Treat Social Media more as a platform for the purpose of sharing information and your core areas of expertise.