Ah, social media. It can be exciting, glamorous, eye-catching, engaging, and addictive. Some organizations have entire teams to manage their presence on social media platforms. I recently wrapped up some social media work for a client. After I chatted with them about insights I gleaned from creating and sharing social content for them, I added, “But don’t forget about email.”
Wait, what? Email has been around for decades! There’s nothing exciting or glamorous about it. Just hear me out, and I’ll explain what I mean.
Social media in recent years has become increasingly fragmented, especially post-pandemic. There’s Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky (a Twitter alternative), YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok (facing legislation this week to potentially ban it from the US because of its ties to China), and more. It is impossible to be everywhere and reach everyone in your audience.
But after all these years, nearly every person – even your grandparents – has an email address. It’s still the one reliable way you can click a button and reach all of your stakeholders, and they’re less likely to miss your message because it sits in their inbox until they do something with it. (Take that, ever-changing social media algorithms!) It’s easy to ask people to subscribe and provide their email addresses; you may have them already. (But always make sure you have permission to use their email – spam is not cool.)
More people are moving back to email as the primary way to read information from places where they’ve subscribed. Everything they need is in one place, without the drama and toxicity that can accompany social media. (The topic of a recent conversation I had with another client.)
Don’t get me wrong – social media is still a wonderful way to connect with your audience, depending on where they’re engaging and what your needs are. But don’t neglect email either. The two can work in tandem as part of a solid communication strategy.
Spring Creek Consulting, LLC 