Thoughts on Facebook Likes instead of an E-mail List?

It can be easy to confuse building a Facebook fan page with building your own e-mail list. However, remember that your list is the heart and soul of your business. Your database of prospects and customers is your business equity.

Until they've taken the step to actually get on your list, they're not really YOUR list. They're Facebook's list/equity. Although Facebook probably won't just disappear, they could seriously mess with your business just by changing their TOS or the way people use/interact/message with others. Your entire business is subject to Facebook's TOS and way they do business and they have a tremendous degree of control/influence over the way your messages are received and perceived.

Until they opt in to YOUR list, they're not YOUR list; they're Facebook's list. Personally, I don't like giving that much control over my business to anyone else.

Build your own list. Also collect snail mail addresses so you can incorporate offline marketing (like direct mail) with your online marketing to give your marketing efforts an extra boost.

BTW, this is not just my opinion. This is the same thinking/strategy applied by multi-million dollar business owners like Dan Kennedy, Ali Brown, Sheri McConnell and Carrie Wilkerson.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

Michelle is right... I have both email lists and a follower movement in social-network mediums. I would however state that I prefer Twitter over Facebook, but will certainly never get rid of my mailing lists. They are at the core of my business.

Bernard

Why wouldn't you do both?

However, from my point of view the best way to communicate with your customers individually is through an email list.

An email list makes stuff look more "personal" if you know what I mean.

So.. email list definitely

Why not do both? That way you're reaching two different audiences - facebook users and not.

I like doing both, I use facebook fan page for promotions, discounts and contests. And my email list for more personal interactions and special products.

That works for me

Posting on Facebook to the people who Like your Page is much less intrusive than getting a email. Look at your open rate on email campaigns. You can post 3 to 5 times per day on a Facebook Fan page but you can only email once a week or month.
I feel that if you are using Facebook properly, it can be more powerful than a email list.
They both have their own purpose.

I would defiantly not stop building a list. Your list are your customers who have already opted in to get quality stuff from you.

Getting likes would be a great way to promote your website so people can sign up for your list.

The focus should be on providing your list with the most value possible.

JT

Doing both can only increase your bottom line over time. I promote high heels to a list and now most recently a Facebook fanpage. I get targeted likes by running ads and getting really cheap clicks (like less than 10 cents).

I only have 52 fans on my fanpage and with on aff link post I've already made a sale. I launched this thing like a week ago. My email list continues to kick ass on Fridays as they tend to be payday's for most people.

Facebook, autoresponders, websites... etc. They are all tools in your box to use. So use them all!

I'd definitely have to go with the email list. It seems as if it's a little easier to get to know your client. With facebook, I just feel like it's not as personal, it's kind of like a friendly vibe instead of a possible client.

I see so many new products coming out telling people to just focus on facebook likes, it makes me sick! Yeah, facebook likes and fan pages are good, but it should not replace your email list.

Just consider it a leg to your business. You can use both. But if I had to pick just one, I would go with email marketing for sure.

Keep your existing email list...

You never know when/if fb will fade away... Look at friendster and myspace for eg

I've done a lot of adsense type site where the purpose was to get a click and not necessarily the email address. I have many regrets about that today; however, I have found that social media, such as facebook, can help to kick start a list building process. It will never be as good as a customer list however.

Set up an opt-in/squeeze page ON your Facebook fan page.. you eventually want to funnel your fan OFF of Facebook and back to your site.

Use Facebook more to build trust and grow your list rather than marketing directly to

We are moving into a new era i belive.

I think as we move forward having likes and gaining attraction will be like having list.

Sort of like people who read your blog and rss feed them to gmail or yahoo or what not.

Same thing IMHO.

Well, I think social media is overrated. At least at this point.

The thing is, most people are too distracted when they are on Facebook.

They will "like" anything, and forget it about it in less than 15 seconds. At the same time they're chatting with five of their friends on instant messenger, tagging photos, and deciding on who to accept as a friend.

The noise to signal ratio is just too high.

However, having a good number of likes can act as social proof.

And the whole social media thing...

Does anybody even take Twitter seriously? Is anyone really making money with this thing?

Do both. Get people to like your page and then hopefully they will optin your squeeze page after they liked it. You can't gaurentee your fan page will always be there so its best to keep a list. What I do like about the fan page is that it has the ability to go viral just by people liking it.

For communication and exposure purposes, I prefer social media (Twitter, FB) over an email list. With that in mind, the posters above really drove home some important points. You don't want your only contact with these people to be over Facebook or Twitter. Either site can ban you on a whim or disappear overnight.

If you do have a lot of Facebook fans, send out like a status update once a month reminding them to opt into an email list or something.

I LOVE Facebook man, but here's my BIG problem with that...

YOU DON'T OWN IT!

What happens if Facebook ever tried to delete your account? It would be gone over night with no questions asked, and there goes your "List".

You will always need to build a list to build a true, long term sustainable business asset because YOUR LIST, is well, YOUR LIST, you OWN it. And for that reason, Facebook will never be better than it.

However, they do work VERY well together.

That whole iFrame trick where you force people to "Like" your page in order to reveal what is behind the grayed out area is GENIUS! Then once they "Like" you, now get their email addresses.

This is known as the "FB Double Lead" technique ...and it OWNS!

Go get em! Whooo!

Facebook Fanpage:
An average person has over 200 friends and is "likes" several 100 fan pages.
The chance that when you make a status update on your Fanpage is very big that most people will miss it, since there own Facebook News Wall is full of other fanpage updates and friends status updates.

E-Mail:
Everybody loves to receive proper emails. If you don't spam your customer list, people will love to receive your emails and read them with joy. Even if they don't check their emails every day, eventually they will read them.

Bottom line: With facebook you have a very big risk of your customers never even reading your message, while with emails, they will read them for sure.

Social Marketing is def' the way to go. Building a list through 'Likes' is perfect especially since you can just e-mail them directly from your page.

You get to target different types of users through email and facebook so I would say keep both. I tend to think people are not really out to buy while they are on facebook so I've personally used facebook more for keeping a relationship with the list (since I can make multiple posts that's not product related but just interesting like I would with my friends) rather than for making sales.

For sales, emails have worked best for me but I hear some people make a lot by directly advertising to people on facebook. So I think there's some debate and preference as to which channel makes more sales for people but I don't think there's much of a debate on whether you should keep both or just one.

Definitely keep both