With Facebook’s new messaging system, email marketers are eager to know how this may affect their business, in terms of using social media. Because Facebook has been heavily incorporated into social media marketing strategies, the new messaging system will undoubtedly impact social media efforts practiced by businesses. Here are a few aspects of the new system marketers should know about:
1. Facebook’s new messaging system incorporates email into its social inbox, because of that, it is still technically email and the same email rules still apply. While Facebook boasts of having 500 million users, there are still a lot who don’t use the social networking site –a fact that is easily overlooked. Therefore, it could be said that these same people will not be using the new integrated service anytime soon. Additionally, with Facebook’s new “social inbox” where emails have a better chance of being delivered to the inbox rather than to spam, only targeted and important messages will be opened and read.
2. In line with this, Facebook will be doing away with subject lines, meaning the sender and brand ID becomes more important and plays a larger role in social media strategies. These are the key factors that will determine whether a user will open, read, or simply delete your message. The “From” name should be brief but having the most important keywords to help being identified by subscribers.
3. Facebook’s availability through mobile web applications presents multichannel communications that marketers should be aware of, in order to take advantage of them. Mobile devices will certainly play a larger role, as more individuals adopt smartphones. More Facebook applications, means more mobile Facebook users who can access and receive messages via mobile devices. Different channels also require different approaches, meaning marketers should ensure that a variety of touch points are executed for desired results. Additionally, photos and videos should be engaging enough to attract users to your page.
4. Avoid being tossed to the junk folder, by paying close attention to details, in order to ensure a successful delivery to a user’s inbox. The ‘catch all’ inbox is where all messages not from “Friends” are contained, meaning this box will be least visited by users. Marketers should be able to use all tools at their disposal, such as segmentation and personalization to engage recipients.
These are just a few changes marketers need to be aware of in the presence of Facebook’s new messaging, which looks to shake things up. The fact that Facebook has integrated email into its inbox is a prime example that demonstrates the need for email and social media to work together.
