Grow Your Social Media Following with a Strong Email Marketing Strategy
When small businesses and nonprofits think of growing their social media following, email marketing might not be the first tool that comes to mind. However, leveraging your email list can be a game-changer for building an engaged social media audience. In this post, we’ll break down how to use email marketing to grow your social media following, highlight tools that can help, and provide actionable tips for your team.
Why Use Email Marketing for Social Media Growth?
Your email subscribers are already invested in your brand—they’ve signed up to hear from you. These individuals are more likely to engage with your content on social media, share it with their networks, and help you expand your online presence.
By blending email marketing and social media efforts, you can:
•Increase your follower count with people who are already familiar with your mission or products.
•Boost engagement with high-quality, targeted followers.
•Encourage cross-channel interaction, building a stronger relationship with your audience.
Actionable Tips for Integrating Email Marketing into Social Media Growth
1. Add Social Media Buttons to Your Emails
Make it easy for subscribers to follow you. Add clear, clickable icons for your social media platforms in your email footer or header. For extra visibility, include a direct call to action like:
•“Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates!”
•“Get daily tips on Facebook—don’t miss out!”
2. Create Exclusive Social Media Content for Subscribers
Entice your email subscribers to follow you by promoting exclusive content on your social channels. For example:
•Tease a live Q&A on Facebook.
•Highlight Instagram-only giveaways.
•Share content previews in your email with a prompt to follow for the full story.
3. Run a Social Media Contest via Email
Leverage contests to grow your following while keeping your email list engaged. For instance:
•Ask subscribers to follow your account and tag a friend for a chance to win.
•Include direct links to your social profiles in the email.
Tools like Rafflecopter and Gleam make it easy to set up social media contests and track entries.
4. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
Use your email campaigns to ask subscribers to create and share content about your organization or products on social media. For example:
•“Share your story on Instagram and tag us @YourHandle for a chance to be featured!”
•Highlight this UGC in your email newsletters to create a feedback loop between email and social media.
5. Promote Your Email Content on Social Media
Cross-promotion works both ways! Create teaser posts on social media to encourage people to subscribe to your newsletter. Offer a lead magnet, such as:
•A downloadable e-book or guide.
•Access to exclusive discounts.
•Early announcements for upcoming events.
Tools and Resources to Streamline Your Strategy
1.Email Marketing Platforms with Social Integrations
•Mailchimp: Easily add social buttons, create automated follow-up campaigns, and track how email drives social interactions.
•Constant Contact: Offers tools to connect email campaigns with your social ads and posts.
•HubSpot: Combines email, social media, and CRM for streamlined campaign tracking.
2.Social Media Management Tools
•Buffer and Hootsuite: Schedule posts that sync with your email marketing campaigns.
•Later: Great for Instagram campaigns; it allows you to plan content visually.
3.Analytics Tools
•Google Analytics: Track how email campaigns drive social media traffic.
•Sprout Social: Dive into deeper insights about your social growth and email-driven engagement.
Pro Tip: Use Retargeting to Close the Loop
Your email subscribers who haven’t followed you on social media can be retargeted with ads. Platforms like Facebook Ads Manager and Google Ads allow you to upload your email list and serve tailored ads encouraging users to follow your profiles.
Case Study: How This Works in Action
A local nonprofit used this strategy to grow their Instagram following by 30% in just two months. Here’s how:
1.They added clear social buttons to their email footer.
2.Promoted an Instagram-only giveaway via their newsletter.
3.Highlighted success stories from Instagram in their email updates, encouraging subscribers to check out the original posts.
4.Used Facebook ads to retarget email subscribers who hadn’t followed them yet.
Start Growing Today!
Email marketing is a powerful, underutilized tool for growing your social media following. With a dedicated strategy and the right tools, you can turn your email list into a community of loyal, engaged followers. Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation to get personalized advice and start building a stronger digital presence for your small business or nonprofit today!
What strategies have worked for you? Share your tips in the comments below!