Global digital marketing specialist, Epsilon International, is expanding its portfolio of email marketing services to incorporate social media solutions. 

Following recent report findings* that 37 per cent of companies avoid social media due to lack of understanding, Epsilon aims to build customer confidence by helping them make social media relevant to current email campaigns. In 2009, almost double the amount of time was spent on Facebook than on Google and recent figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau/PricewaterhouseCooper’s 2009 Mobile Marketing Report, reveal that 41 minutes a day are spent on Facebook via mobiles and 31 minutes a day via PC. 

Epsilon’s new services allow marketers to engage with their customers in a number of ways – email newsletters can be personalised with social media ‘buttons’, embedded Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter links, for example. This enables subscribers to post real time information directly to their personal social network pages and share online offers, vouchers and subscription information with their contacts.

In a similar way, recipients can also expedite email form completion by logging-on to their social networking pages through mailed communications. This process automatically extracts personal information; simplifying the entire data entry process. 

Data collation remains a key marketing objective and social media integration amplifies the reach of traditional methods such as email subscription lists and preference centres. Epsilon is working with clients to develop Facebook data capture boxes, allowing users to voluntarily sign up for special offers and giving marketers access to profile data.

Jon Maddison, UK country director, Epsilon International, said: "It’s a mistake to see email’s 1-2-1 style of communication as being at odds with social media’s 1-2-many communication style; the two are actually a very compatible means of enabling an email’s recipient to share an offer or content with their friends. Brands that integrate the two channels achieve a commercially attractive opportunity to reach a much larger pool of prospective customers."

One company currently realising the benefits of email and social media integration is international car rental company, Europcar, which recently implemented a network sharing solution in its email messages.

Susan Kalair, eCommerce manager, Europcar, said: "Social media integration has allowed us to expand into new channels, enhance our brand awareness and perpetuate the longevity and reach of our campaigns. By empowering consumers to share messaging through their choice of social network, we can leverage new sales opportunities through more precisely targeted campaigns."

* Taken from Equation Research: 2009 Marketing Industry Trends Report