How to Send “Like Us” Emails

Should you send email about “liking” your Facebook Page? Or should all email links be directed to your website? It’s a common question, and a good one. You need to balance the clear bottom line (driving sales or leads on your site) versus social media buzz. But that’s not to say the two are mutually exclusive. You can deliver results with social media and demonstrate ROI. You’ve just gotta be smart.

Driving people to your Facebook Page doesn’t have to be a dead end. Your email strategy should vary between your site and your Facebook (or Twitter) Page. And that’s where your content comes in. Make your emails work harder than just “like us on Facebook.” That gets old after an email or two. Tell people why they should like you. Special discounts? A new promotion? Give them a reason to click, even if they already like you.

How often you should send emails varies. Some brands do it every day. Others only once a week or once a month. Test what works for your brand. But keep Facebook calls to action in the mix. Facebook fans are more likely to buy your stuff. And they’re also more likely to spend a little extra. These are your biggest brand enthusiasts. (They’re raising their hands to see your updates alongside those of your friends.) Remind them that you’re there.

I get a lot of email. (Mostly about shopping, as you can see from these examples.) Take a look at what these brands are doing and learn from their good ideas, as well as their misses.

J. Crew

Subject: Love J.Crew? We love you too.
The subject line is nice, and reminds you of Facebook in many ways, but it says love instead of like and doesn’t mention the social network explicitly. It could be more direct. The email, however, is simple and to the point. “Like us and you’ll get a special offer.” It doesn’t crowd the email with any other messaging.

Make the Most of Your Facebook Marketing

It’s estimated that Facebook users see only 10-20% of what their friends post. While the exact figure is hard to prove, it raises a valid point. You cannot assume that every fan will see every piece of content you post on Facebook.

Facebook is a powerful channel, but it’s not the solution to everything. If you’re running a major promotion, you need to support it with other marketing efforts.

There are best practices, of course. Most opportune times to post, preferred length of update, words to use (or not use.) And on top of that, you should always be testing what works for your specific audience. Even if every stat shows that Friday is the best day for engagement, if you get more wall posts on Monday, stick with what’s working for your specific page. No one knows your fans better than you do. But don’t be afraid to experiment with expert data, either.

Just be aware that you are not the only page that your fans have liked. This is especially true for more active users, who are your most powerful resource. Facebook claims that there are nearly 700 million active users on the site, half of whom log on to Facebook on any given day. The average user has 130 friends, and it’s estimated that people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Faceboo