Discover Why Email is Still Relevant in Today's Social Media Landscape

Last month Datran Media announced the release of StormPost 4.0, the only Inbox marketing system that gives retailers and media companies the ability to communicate their marketing messages to Facebook subscribers - directly into their social media accounts. Integrating social networking features into the interface of an ESP was a natural progression, one that was long overdue as a greater number of consumers gravitate towards social networks and marketers face greater challenges reaching them.

Just how big is the social media landscape? According to a new report by eMarketer, social networking is an activity that 37% of U.S. adult Internet users and 70% of online teens engage in every month, and the numbers continue to grow. The report projects that by 2011, one-half of online adults and 84% of online teens in the U.S. will use social networking. It is no wonder marketers are expressing interest in this emerging media channel. If done correctly, marketing on social networks offers limitless opportunities.

So how can marketers connect with social media users? They simply need to look at their most successful email programs. Email, which can be called the forefather of social media, features some basic strategies that can be applied to the social media Inbox. From segmentation and personalization, email marketing has laid the foundation for successfully communicating with consumers in the social media space. Datran Media will be teaming up with JupiterResearch for a very informative webinar about reaching your audience on social networks. This 60-minute presentation will explain:

• How social networking is impacting email marketing
• Who is using social media and why it is an important part of the marketing mix
• How you can reach your customers using social media
• What the future holds for social media

Please join us on Tuesday, April 22 for this lively discussion and learn how to get social with your customers! Register Now.

For more information on StormPost 4.0, read the press release, email Dave Hendricks or contact him at (212)-706-4911 to set up a demo.

According to the Direct Marketing Association's "Direct Marketing Facts and Figures in the Financial Services Industry" report, banks and credit card companies will invest heavily in direct marketing advertising in the coming years. These institutions spent $13.4 billion in 2007 on direct marketing advertising, generating $178.8 billion in sales, according to the report. The DMA said direct marketing financial services ads will drive $286.2 billion in sales in 2012.

Out of all the direct marketing channels available to financial marketers, email is going to be the most widely used medium for driving business. The DMA predicted that financial services commercial email ad spending would grow 22.5% from 2007 to 2012, more than spending on any other media type.

Datran Media's director of strategic and analytical services, Nicholas Einstein, shares his insight on email with members of the Email Experience Council.

I have been taking special interest in all things Facebook over the past several weeks, as I have been hard at work coming up with strategies for companies to employ when building social networking applications and messaging users who have installed these applications. I believe that the rapid adoption of social networking sites is creating a huge opportunity for emarketers to message some segments of their audience in new and exciting ways. Marketers who are slow to act, or are more skeptical about the power of these networks, however, may be in for a rude awakening. Read More >