On October 4, 2021, Facebook and its subsidiaries (Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Mapillary, and Oculus) became abruptly unavailable across the globe for a significant period of time. Some areas experienced longer downtimes than others, but the average outage lasted six hours.

Our Social Media Obsession

We’ve become thoroughly reliant on social media; it’s woven throughout our lives. We keep up with friends and businesses. We connect and converse with others in groups. We search for and RSVP to local and online events. We use it to relax. We network. We shop.

Those of us in business use social media to send messages and reply to inquiries via DM. We announce new product launches and offer consultations. We make connections by letting our customers behind the scenes. In today’s “pay to play” climate, we must buy social media advertising so that our pages and posts are even visible.

“Social media manager” is its own full-time career, but if social media goes down… what then?

Control or Controlled?

No matter which social media platforms you’re using, you’re relying on something outside of your control for your personal and business communications. Even community- and course-based platforms require subscriptions and keep you dependent; they store your data. And there’s no easy way to take your content somewhere else, should they decide to change their terms or go offline.

No matter which social and online platforms rise or fall, you’ll still have your email address. And you’ll still have your list of email contacts. It’s time to invest your time where it can’t be wasted.

What is the Difference Between Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing?

Social Media Marketing

• Person-to-page
• Posts can be viewed beyond your existing network of followers
• Prioritizes quantity 
• Immediate delivery and feedback (likes and comments)
• Continual bombardment by ads
• “Pay to play” — paid ads required for visibility 
• Questionable privacy and security 

Email Marketing

• Person-to-person
• Voluntary subscribers 
• Prioritizes quality
• Long-term relationship-building
• No competition for visibility

Is Email Marketing Better than Social Media?

Email = More Visibility

Emails you send are likely to appear in someone’s email inbox 85% of the time, so they’re available to be opened (and they do get opened: 23% of the time on average). In contrast, the average unpaid reach of a Facebook post has dropped to just 5%

Email = More Conversions

According to Campaign Monitor, email marketing generates 174% more conversions than social media posts. This might be related to the fact that individuals must consciously subscribe to an email list, whereas most social media posts are chosen for them by ad targeting or impersonal algorithms.

Email = More Users

More than 4 billion people worldwide use email, which is over 50% of the world’s population, and total email volume went up 7% in 2020. Facebook, on the other hand, ended 2020 with only 2.8 billion active users.

Email = More Action

Technology research firm Radicati reported that close to 300 billion emails are sent every day. Facebook records just 710 million actions taken on the platform per day, so email is a much more active landscape.

Email = More Eager Customers 

According to OptinMonster, 60% of consumers subscribe to email lists to keep up with new deals and products, while only 20% follow brands on social media to learn about those promotions.

Email = More Money

A whopping 66% of consumers admit to having bought something as a result of an email, while 30% reported purchasing via social commerce and only 20% report purchasing via a Facebook ad. Email marketing also returns a reported $44 for each $1 you invest, which equates to an unbelievable 4400% ROI.

Try an Email Marketing Consultant

While we engage in social media posts and paid social media advertising for our clients, we have noticed that many more conversions for both sales and events come from using email marketing.

Ready to make email marketing a consistent part of your digital marketing strategy? We offer monthly coaching calls for smaller brands and for larger brands monthly email marketing packages. Contact us for a free discovery call.