Social Media Marketing Prediction for 2011: The Resurrection of E-Mail

2. The Full Resurrection of E-mail

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E-mail addresses are a safer long-term investment than social media features. Think about all the money companies spent advertising their MySpace () pages in 2007. Even on Facebook (), your direct messages to fans are relegated to a second tier inbox no one reads. This is something you don’t have to worry about happening in e-mail marketing. Among 20- to 35-year olds, at least, their physical addresses change more frequently than their e-mail addresses.

The smarter marketers will budget “social media” acquisitions based on lifetime value (or a set duration, like 6 months’ retail purchases) of e-mail addresses.

I am not sure about this prediction of Mashable. Speaking about myself I am tired of e-mail blasts and e-mails newsletter spamming my E-Mail Inbox. I prefer to select myself, which information I get when. I prefer to get opinions and judgements from others on certain topics. I prefer to discuss and collaborate with others. I like to network …

But seriously: It is not a nor or neither. You have to do both, E-Mail AND Social Media Marketing. And the borders between both are disappearing anyway in the next years. The E-Mail Inbox becomes social, the social network solution has an Inbox.

P.S. And when talking about E-Mail Marketing do not forget, that we do have countries with very strict Opt-In and Opt-Out policies.