Help Them Help You: Only 13% of Brands Include Social Sharing Options in Email Marketing

A new finding from Smith-Harmon (via eMarketer) is almost shocking: Only 13% of brands include buttons in emails that allow subscribers to share content via social networking and bookmarking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Although 41% of brands understand that a "forward to a friend" via email button makes sense, nearly half of brands surveyed don't include forward to a friend OR sharing buttons in their emails.

Few social media tactics are as effortless as adding social sharing to emails and other content. Providing a simple avenue for your email subscribers to share your content with their own networks on social sites benefits you and makes their lives easier if they want to tell their own communities about your content.

Choosing a platform that enables you to easily include these buttons and track the pass-along results can be invaluable to learning more about what interests your customers and what resonates with them enough to share with trusted friends.

If your brand isn't facilitating sharing, it's a huge opportunity lost - but one that is easily remedied.

Shoutlet to Power Social Media for Connected Community, Higher Logic's Social Networking Platform for Non-Profits

We're excited to announce that a leader in non-profit social networking, Higher Logic, has tapped Shoutlet to power its platform's social features. Announced yesterday at the American Society of Association Executives’ annual meeting in Toronto, the partnership will allow the Connected Community platform to offer a comprehensive social media solution to non-profit networks.

The new partnership provides not-for-profits with a special bundled offering designed to give organizations the ability to post content to well-known social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as offer video, podcasts, RSS feeds, polling, text messaging, and more.

More details in the press release.

Jason Weaver - August SoHo Player

Audibly Successful, that's Jason Weaver. A Web 3.0 mindset in a Web 2.0 world. Navigating new heights when it comes to developing Web Marketing tools that allows companies to listen, engage and participate with their clients.

To find out more about Jason, download a PDF copy of Magazine Soho.

Who Is A Soho Player?

A person or business who directly or indirectly enhances the growth of "growing business," either locally or nationally. Soho Players are passionate about their business, products, services, brand, the clients they serve and most importantly, they are passionate about life. Do You Know The Next Soho Player? Contact @thatwoman_soho on Twitter or by visiting the site www.sohobiztube.com.

Are YOU the next SoHo Player?

Magazine SoHo nationally features and profiles Soho Players, check out the upcoming Players:

• AUG | Jason Weaver | Madison, WI
• SEPT |Steve Johns| Chicago, IL
• OCT | Barb Rozgonyi| Chicago, IL
• NOV | 360 Direct| Milwaukee, WI
• DEC | Erica Conway and Scott Baitinger |Milwaukee, WI
  

~Kristin Gritt, Online Insights Manager

Franchisors, You Can Be More Social

Franchisors face a dilemma. On one hand, they want their franchisees to hop on the social media train. It's perfect. Local content for local customers, the opportunity to tie offline to online, authentic connection.

But on the other, there's worry. Worry that the branding will be distorted, worry that one franchisee might spoil it for the rest.

But there are engaging ways to help franchisees be more social without sacrificing total control and without policing Twitter streams. In an upcoming webinar this Thursday, August 6 at 12:30 p.m. CST, "5 Ways Franchises Can Leverage Localized Social Media and Retain Brand Integrity," Sway, Inc. discuss some of these challenges. We'll run through these questions:

• How can we give franchise owners the freedom to pursue locally focused social media initiatives without giving up total control?
• How do we ensure all of our franchises stay true to branding guidelines?
• What are simple solutions for adding social media efforts to franchise marketing support programs?
• What tools are available to assist in this process?
• What tactics can we implement other than strictly Twitter and Facebook?
• What are some social media initiatives our franchises can pursue today that will get their local patrons energized online?

Plus, we’ll discuss 5 engaging, fun tactics franchises can implement that strike a balance between corporate control and localized content that connects with each franchise’s unique customer base.

Join us Thursday.