Is Facebook better than an Email List?

16 replies
Wondering what everyone's opinion is on FB v List?

I use both, and have found I get much more response from posting updates on my FB page. Depending on what I am posting, I get instant interaction from my page likers, and if my post is interesting, it will get lots of viral views as well.

I tend to be a bit lazy, and find FB so much easier to keep in contact with all of my potential customers, and find it easier and quicker to generate sales via my group.

What is your experience, and which is your preferred method?

cheers
Angela
#email #facebook #list
  • Profile picture of the author Thriftypreneur
    I prefer both. I like to funnel traffic from FB to my list.

    The main reason for this is because...

    Facebook owns the page, not you.

    If you spend more time on your facebook page then you do your list building, what happens in 5 years when you have 350,000 Facebook fans, a list of 10,000 and then, Facebook decides they don't want to host pages anymore and closes them all, without warning?

    Highly unlikely scenario, but you can see what can happen when you build business on properties you don't own. Just food for thought.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222808].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author infomaniacs
      Originally Posted by Thriftypreneur View Post

      I prefer both. I like to funnel traffic from FB to my list.

      The main reason for this is because...

      Facebook owns the page, not you.

      If you spend more time on your facebook page then you do your list building, what happens in 5 years when you have 350,000 Facebook fans, a list of 10,000 and then, Facebook decides they don't want to host pages anymore and closes them all, without warning?

      Highly unlikely scenario, but you can see what can happen when you build business on properties you don't own. Just food for thought.
      yep, agree, which is why I also have people subscribe to my list, but I find FB so much easier to update my customers, and reckon it is less intrusive posting 10 status updates in a day, than sending them 10 emails
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222819].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Thriftypreneur
        Originally Posted by infomaniacs View Post

        yep, agree, which is why I also have people subscribe to my list, but I find FB so much easier to update my customers, and reckon it is less intrusive posting 10 status updates in a day, than sending them 10 emails
        Oh, yes, of course. Your thread title implies using one or the other, so I may have misunderstood your OP.

        Naturally, they're good at communicating to customers in different ways.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222849].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by infomaniacs View Post

    Is Facebook better than an Email List?
    Not in my opinion.

    For all the reasons mentioned here and in another post slightly lower down in the same thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post8212280

    Originally Posted by infomaniacs View Post

    I use both, and have found I get much more response from posting updates on my FB page.
    I hear you, of course, Angela, but to me that wouldn't be relevant. I don't own and control Facebook. That's what's relevant. Just my perspective, but my lists are the primary income-producing assets of my business, so that's "kind of important" to me!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222847].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Marc Rodill
    Facebook is definitely not better than having a list. Facebook is a lead generation and audience interaction tool. It's a hotbed for traffic generation.

    Personally, being an introvert, I've shied away from Facebook for far too long as far as business is concerned. After listening to the podcast with Amy Porterfield on I Love Marketing with Dean and Joe I'm been rethinking my approach.

    But at the end of the day, your list is an asset. People who are interested in you and know you and trust you. Facebook is just a tool to help you build that asset.
    Signature
    Long Lost Warriors! The Secret Sales System! Act Now! Buy Now! Right Now!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222907].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    I use both actually, when someone subscribes to my list I invite them to connect with me on Facebook.

    It gives me another way to reach people and share my content. The thing I like about facebook is that you can share things on your FB wall as many times a day as you want.

    If I decided to write 3 blog posts today, I can share the all on FB the same day. With email you can really only share once, maybe twice a day without annoying people.

    Facebook or email isn't the question. The question is how to use both in a way that allows you to share your content without being annoying, and keeping a majority of people happy and engaged.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8222908].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I'm a sucker for email marketing and building an email list, so building a list outweighs using Facebook "follow-up marketing". Besides... spending too much time on social networks and marketing makes me feel like i'm twittering my life away.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223359].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author franamico
    Having an email list is the best way to stay in touch with your prospects. Facebook is a great tool to attract new subscribers!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223508].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author CRGreen
    Great conversation going on. It's already been mentioned but it's worth pointing out again - building your list is an asset to your business. You want to be capturing targeted leads whenever you can and Facebook can be a platform you use to capture some leads but in my opinion, I wouldn't spend a lot of time marketing on there. It can definitely become a huge distraction and time suck.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223585].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jamescanz
    Originally Posted by infomaniacs View Post

    Wondering what everyone's opinion is on FB v List?

    I use both, and have found I get much more response from posting updates on my FB page.
    Do you use your Facebook page to build your list?

    It works very well.

    And you can also use your list to send traffic to important status updates, viral posts, vids, pictures, aff offers, etc
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223805].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author brutecky
    Originally Posted by infomaniacs View Post

    Wondering what everyone's opinion is on FB v List?

    I use both, and have found I get much more response from posting updates on my FB page. Depending on what I am posting, I get instant interaction from my page likers, and if my post is interesting, it will get lots of viral views as well.

    I tend to be a bit lazy, and find FB so much easier to keep in contact with all of my potential customers, and find it easier and quicker to generate sales via my group.

    What is your experience, and which is your preferred method?

    cheers
    Angela
    Not for me. I get a 70% open rate on my emails and I normally get a 25% CTR when Im sending them a affiliate link. But I take care of my list and give them lots of good freebies. With my pages Facebook normally shows my posts to around 25% of my fans. So 70% vrs 25% .. Email wins hands down.

    However if you are going to compare the two you have to do an apples to apples comparison. Use FB and Email to send the exact same text message and then compare.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223815].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ben Gordon
      Originally Posted by brutecky View Post

      Not for me. I get a 70% open rate on my emails and I normally get a 25% CTR when Im sending them a affiliate link. But I take care of my list and give them lots of good freebies. With my pages Facebook normally shows my posts to around 25% of my fans. So 70% vrs 25% .. Email wins hands down.

      However if you are going to compare the two you have to do an apples to apples comparison. Use FB and Email to send the exact same text message and then compare.
      I don't know how you get 70% open rates but you must have a pretty damn attentive list. Cause industry averages are 10%-25%.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223859].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    Facebook is just a traffic source you can use to build your list with, it could never be better than a list.
    Signature
    " I knew that if I failed, I wouldn't regret that.
    But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. "

    ~ Jeff Bezos

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223833].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    I don't find Facebook better for delivering sales than my mailing
    list. I'll always consider my lists, and the relationships/goodwill
    created with subscribers, as one of my most valuable assets.

    I do find the interaction on Facebook, both on my wall, and
    in groups and on pages to be very useful and profitable. I've
    built a lot of great relationships using Facebook, LinkedIn and
    Google Plus... and to a lesser extent using Twitter.

    I also find that it's a lot easier to reach people who normally deploy
    gatekeepers via social media. I've actually chatted with Hollywood
    celebrities via social media... and even had a tweet featured on CNN

    Willie
    Signature

    Here's A Ready-Made High Ticket Product To Make Your Own.
    Click To Go BIG!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223851].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    Facebook is not working for me. It’s very hard to make new friends there…

    I prefer the power of an email list.

    You have to spend some time with your email list, even if you are successful with Facebook. You never know what can happen tomorrow. Everything keeps changing online.

    You should use your great Facebook page to keep all the traffic your are getting now in your own list, so that you may use this traffic multiple times.

    It’s very nice to have many subscribers. You can send them to the new pages you create, besides being able to sell them your products after showing them all the advantages they will have.


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8223962].message }}

Trending Topics