Email list vs social media followers

I would always build an email list.

This is because if you are building your entire business around a social network... what happens if they get shut down?!

Remember Bebo, or MySpace?

If you had built your business around them... you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Whereas if you had built your own email list - your business would still be thriving.

...I'm not saying that FaceBook etc is going to crash, but I wouldn't want to put my business in their hands.

However, I do also like to build a following on social media... but, I wouldn't rely on it

Hope this helps!
Tom

I'd say go with the e-mail list....

Social networks get popular, they get unpopular.

E-mail lists stay.

MeelisM

Social media messages expire... an Inbox is forever.

If your audience isn't tuned in at the time you post, or within a reasonable amount of time thereafter, they'll never see your message. And even if they are, the way Facebook's (and soon Twitter's) algorithm works, only a maximum of 16% of your audience will ever see your posts unless you pay to promote them. Not so with email... as long as you can beat the spam filter, you're in.

Also keep in mind that people don't go to social media sites to shop, they go there to socialize. Conversion rates are typically higher from email campaigns than social. The last time I checked Facebook, I was at a traffic light ... if I had seen your message in my news feed, what are the odds that I would take action at that moment? Slim to none. What are the odds I would see your message again later at a point where I COULD take action? Also slim to none. But I also checked my email at the same traffic light... also not in a position to take action, but it will still be at the top of my inbox when I am.

Always do email list no matter what the medium is.

List is your audience, your clients your business.

Even if you lose everything and have to start your business from scratch, with list you can do it very quickly.

But if you lose great list that you been working on building for 3 last years, then making same quality list going to take same amount of time.

Thanks to all of you for your answers, now i know that e-mail marketing is and will still, the best marketing tool ever.

Any time specification on send bulk email.

Hi,

Of course people are still checking email. Just think about how many times you log into your email daily to check your inbox.

Personally and any blogger will tell you that email subscribers are the MOST value asset you can have when building authority and generating traffic. A single opt-in can get you return visitors and even create conversions depending on the purpose of your blog.

However,

This doesn't mean you shouldn't focus on social marketing, I would focus more attention on email marketing and how to engage your readers. Next, having subscribers is one thing but inboxing is another. You need to make sure you get to the email subscribers inbox and generate an open furthermore a click-through.

For someone trying to market on the web...both will work wonders if you know how to utilize them. Social marketing to get your message across and email subscribers to reach existing people visiting your website to get them back.

Email list for all the points mentioned above, and more.

Keep in mind: People reading your email are still inside their OWN inbox where they feel more comfortable.

Followers, on the other hand are on YOUR fan page, which is not the same thing.

Besides, if I had the time or could be bothered with fan pages, my ONLY goal would be to get them onto an email list anyway.

- Declan

People check their inboxes daily, most of them do! As they have social media on their smart phones, they also have their emails. Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there!

I think both are complementary, and they should be used in unison to harness the full power of social media!

Email Marketing wins the day!

Even if you have x+++ followers on Twitter and what have you you still need email marketing to qualify them and build a proper relationship for marketing purposes.

It's all in the name 'Social networking' and Email Marketing

Will Kingshouse

With no list you have no power.

Why not utilize social media to build your list?

Yes thanks all of you for the replies.

This stuff works synergestically - it's not an email vs. social media question but a question of how to use them together.

I track who clicks and opens my emails. I can then create a custom audience in Facebook for them and show them ads. So now I'm targetting buyers via email and social media. I could show them an offer I just emailed them about (so now they're exposed to it twice which increases their likelyhood of buying).

Think of a legitimate business that is selling you something online. Don't they have both a fanpage and email list?

Aren't they doing some PPC, some SEO, some email etc...? Of course they are. I don't know why affiliates always pit one strategy against the other as if they coudln't do both.

Here's another example - my newsletter has an icon for Facebook and twitter. If I send a good email, I will always see a few more 'likes' to the Fanpage show up.

My two cents.

Everyone above is correct. As crazy as it may sound. E-mail is still an overwhelmingly powerful tool. Just do not slack off and forget social media. That is the quickest way to get your content to go viral.

Create a few good InfoGraphics and get some videos up on sites like YouTube as well.

You will spend your life posting to social media though. Try to focus on getting a tool to auto share and schedule post to all of your networks. I schedule about 2 weeks of post at a time. That way It is on autopilot. I just check in to reply to comments now and again. This will free up your time to focus on your email subscribers and your site content.!