Email used one of the dominant mediums of communication on the Web. With the evolution of social media however, it has lost its sheen. Several companies and individuals have dropped email and started using their Facebook or Twitter accounts for communication. The question is, “is email really obsolete?”

The answer is: No! If used wisely, emails can still work wonders for online marketing.

Why People Are Losing Faith in Email?

Email is the oldest medium of online communication, and when compared to social   media features, is pretty dry. With social media tools, millions of people can communicate with each other instantly. Facebook and Twitter are probably the largest marketing platforms with billions of fans. Many big corporate houses have gained huge business success through social media. Email marketing is outdated because most consider it boring. In fact, teenagers, and most below 50, hardly use email these days to share events, activities, comments, pictures, etc.

• Social networks are mostly privately owned and have a market value worth billions of dollars. LinkedIn’s estimated market value is $10 billion and if Facebook goes public, it can earn a market share of $100 billion. Everyone wants a share in social media because it’s profitable. Email is non-proprietary. It doesn’t have a market value. Email is like air, its essential but you don’t pay for it.

• Another major drawback of email is you can’t get the attention of a huge audience at the same time. Email is private. You can send a mail to only those who you wish to or know ids of. When it comes to Facebook however, whatever you write on your wall can be viewed by thousands of people at the same time, with or without being on your friend list. Online marketers like to share their news fast, and with a large audience.

• Another major drawback of email is you can’t get the attention of a huge audience at the same time. Email is private. You can send a mail to only those who you wish to or know ids of. When it comes to Facebook however, whatever you write on your wall can be viewed by thousands of people at the same time, with or without being on your friend list. Online marketers like to share their news fast, and with a large audience.

Why Email is Still Important?

• Emails do not have the ability to share content with millions at once and create thousands of fans, but when it comes to number of users, social media falls behind. In USA, only 6% of people have never sent or received an email, but 39% internet users never used any social network. That means email marketing is your safest bet when you want to communicate with a large audience.

• You may have an account in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace, Orkut, and in many other sites. But when it comes to email addresses, you probably have 1-2 email addresses. When people have too many social media accounts, they will overlook a post or tweet, but when they receive a mail in their inbox, the possibility of checking the message is much more.

• When it comes to direct marketing, 93% of email users have opt-in relationships with a consumer brand, compared to 15% on Facebook and 4% on Twitter. Facebook has realized the importance of email as a medium of communication and marketing. They have already launched a @facebook.com email address.

• Email attracts users’ attention. When people receive an email in their inbox, they read it most of the times. But when the same person gets a feed from Facebook, he overlooks it.

• When it comes to social media like Twitter, you have only 140 characters to express yourself. Email has no such limitations. You can write in detail about your product or service.

• Email does not irritate users. You can keep your inbox to zero. But Facebook and Twitter floods your profile with hundreds of updates every minute. How many Tweets can an online marketer send? No matter how many he sends, some new Tweet from another company will replace it, and the previous Tweet will go into oblivion.

• Email marketing is slow but steady. Using email, you can cultivate your brand image, advocate the reasons that make you the best and create a long lasting impression on the users’ mind. In social media, the PPC campaigns are like shooting stars. Once you stop PPC, people forget about you.

Things to Remember in Email Marketing

• When you send an email, write in simple language but offer valuable information. People forgive gibberish content in Facebook, but not in a mail they get from the same brand.

• Email gives you the freedom to write as much as you wish. Still, your content should be compact and coherent. Writing too much can bore your target audience.

• Categorize your customers and send message to them with a personal tone. You should not address the entire audience the same way. Also, do not address collectively, saying “hi all”.

Despite the popularity of social media, email has its own advantages. It reaches the target audience directly and individually. To start a successful online marketing campaign, you can’t ignore email.

A few years back, Facebook came and swept the web in a whirlwind of networking. Then Twitter arrived, and things were never the same again. Web users have been warring since, and so are the two social networking stalwarts, on who’s better.
If you have used both Facebook and Twitter, you’ll agree that neither is better or worse than the other. They are two different social mediums with comparatively unique features. They are both here to stay; Facebook still retains a majority of its loyal subscribers, and Twitter is only too happy to accommodate newbies.
The inherent differences between Facebook and Twitter are in the nature of its users: friends (Facebook) vs. followers (Twitter) and the nature of use: like (Facebook) vs. tweet (Twitter). These two primarily determine the user’s activity on either social medium.

• Facebook is a network of friends that allows users to connect with their real world, core peer group on the web. You are likely to make virtual connections with people you don’t know in the real world, but your ‘inner circle’ of friends will always come first.
  Twitter on the other hand has people following you, mostly people you don’t know, with whom you have little chance of making any personal connection, or is least bit interested doing the same.
  As a social medium, Facebook is more personal and home-like; a virtual coffee shop where friends gather, share stories, experiences, pictures and chat. Twitter is more business like in comparison.
• You will make a lot of mutual connections on Facebook; friends of friends with whom you can share notes, comments and pictures. Twitter is more of a one-sided relationship. You may have several followers interested in what you have to say, but you don’t necessarily share the sentiment and follow them back.
  Facebook banks on obligation. Rejecting mutual friends is often uncomfortable. Twitter does not care because most followers are just random people on the web without a face, per say.
• When you Like something on Facebook, you really like it. You want to share it with your friends. Sharing on Facebook is a consequence of liking something, not a reason for liking content. In other words, you don’t like because you want to share content, but share because you have liked it.
  Contrarily, you Tweet because you want to share content with your followers. If your followers find your content useful, they will re-tweet to share it with their followers.
  Facebook is more natural social networking that happens because you naturally like to share things you like. Twitter is forced social networking because you want people to like what you share and spread the word.
  Do you see the difference? The motivation behind liking something on Facebook and tweeting on Twitter is completely different. Where you continue to share a personal connection with your friends, you maintain a formal relationship with your followers.
  Both should work for you, depending on what you intend to achieve from a Facebook and Twitter account. If you have a blog and can’t decide which social media will work best for you, try with both Like and Tweet buttons on your site. User response will decide.

In conclusion, I will quote a fellow Twitter user: “Facebook is for friends you grow up with. Twitter is for ‘friends’ you didn’t grow up with.” I think that pretty much sums up the difference between Facebook’s and Twitter’s social networking concepts.

No doubt Facebook is the rage of the age but how effective is it in promoting a brand compared to an official company website? This is the thriving question of the age that is racking the brains of marketing experts as new surveys and studies disclose some alarming facts and figures that are worth considering. Facebook is fast beating websites as the best solution of online promotion and campaigning.

So what’s your take now? Opt for a customized Facebook page and enjoy more fans with increasing ‘likes’ to boast of or stick to the stable flow of traffic in your official website? Before you say adieu to your official brand’s website on impulse, read below to decide better which one makes for a superior promotional solution to bank on.

An Analysis of Traffic flow:
Consumer behavior is bound to change with the passing of time and new developments. There’s no denying that Facebook rocks the present age of online communication with its open and interactive platform that allows users to voice their say more effectively. Banking on this trend, some big named brands are easily gathering more than millions of ‘likes’ in their pocket. It not only helps the brands to reach out to a wider spectrum of clientele but also enjoy an ever increasing traffic, sometimes more than a website.

Factors that Favor a Customized Facebook page
The main factor that helps a customized Facebook page win user’s hearts easily and fast is its simple and effortless method of connection. Compared to a website design, not only it’s easy to design a solid and strong Facebook page but also makes for a time saving and cost effective solution.

Moreover, with Facebook, you hold a better chance of enjoying a steady flow of traffic compared to webpages. Just a click on the ‘like’ option by your fans and users and your Facebook page gets promoted to a broader client base.

Factors that Favor an Official Company Website:
Though Facebook has quite a number of advantages to lure you skip an official website design and depend on it for promotional purpose, professionals will agree that a website still wins over Facebook in certain criteria:

• Ever thought how you will feel if your profile page displays your competitor’s ad? It’s obvious that you wouldn’t appreciate it. With Facebook page, it’s likely that you will be facing this problem as Facebook place advertisements at the right sidebar of pages. To enjoy a secure and committed place for your company promotion, an official company website is the best solution for you to bank on.
• Secondly, to attract more potential clients, in a website you can work towards achieving a better search engine ranking. But it’s not possible for a Facebook page as Facebook do not support many factors that help in making it more accessible and searchable. Thus you will need to leave it to luck with the hope of gathering more ‘likes’.
• Last but not the least, an official company website allows you to enjoy complete control on the design and development whereas in Facebook page, you remain completely at the mercy of social networking site.

We at Webguru Infosystems, a leading website design and development company, are happy to announce that we have created our new customized Facebook fan page for you to check out. The page with its vibrant colors blended with professional creativity makes for an instant eye catcher that we hope you will ‘Like’. Special highlight has been given on our company’s prominent aspects such as services, packages, portfolio and lots more in a new and innovative way. Just a click on the mouse and let us know what you feel about our new effort.

Why Customize Your Facebook Fan Page

To make it big in today’s market of cutthroat competition, every company struggles hard to secure a brand name that ensures a better flow of traffic globally. With email marketing a passé, companies of today largely depend on the various social networking sites to fulfill their marketing objective of reaching out to maximum number of clients. No doubt, social media is the tune of the age that is ruling the roost of modern age.

But to stand tall among the crowd, just making a profile in Facebook doesn’t help. You need to think out of the box, right? Why not try Facebook fan page customization that allows you to provide your fans and potential clients with the opportunity to know your company better with an added visual treat to savor.

Think Of Us

If you find our Facebook fan page interesting and enticing, why not give your company’s Facebook fan page an equally catchy and fitting look too? We have the best team of social media experts and professional designers who can help you get the best customized static Facebook fan page that is sure to have you rise above the crowd of mediocrity. Build an effective social presence that takes you for an upscaling ride of success.

You can contact us to avail the best customized Facebook fan page solution that is in perfect sync to your need.