Don’t believe every Twitter, blog post, comment or instant message you hear. Email is still an effective means of communication—in both an online social community, and in the marketing of the same. Although the percentages of web users who embrace the latest social media tools is rising, the majority of people are very comfortable with sending and receiving emails.

And yes. If you really do have something interesting to say, individuals will respond positively to an email communication.

For example, let’s say you just joined an exciting new social networking community. You’ve taken the time to register because it’s a community linked to an association that can benefit your professional goals and provide knowledge you can use. But you have a close colleague in a far away geographical location. You want her to join the association’s social networking community, too. After all, she may not even be aware that this destination exists.



You won’t have to intrude on her work day with an instant message. You won’t have to wait for her public response on Facebook or Twitter. She can answer at her convenience, when her schedule and time permits. Plus, your message is private and secure, delivered directly to your colleague’s mailbox.

In the context of a socially-infused online community, email is the primary vehicle for inviting non-members to visit the url, then register and join the social networking fun. ThePort Network routinely integrates an “Invite” tab into a community’s main navigation bar. It’s an example of how email supplements social media interactivity.

Email Is Universal and Personal

On the web, email is universal. To use it effectively, you needn’t belong to a specific group or have an account with a particular service. Conversely, you don’t have to know to which groups, communities or organizations your correspondent belongs. Since email functions independently from all Internet destinations, without community barriers, you just have to know your recipient’s address, then fire away.

In regard to RSS feeds, they obviously do compete with email, and subscribing to hand-picked feeds is very convenient. But RSS subscriptions can’t rival one-on-one, personal communication. It’s just not the same thing. So, even though early adopters of social media may be tiring of what they describe as old-fashioned communicating, millions more are happy with it and rely on it. Just ask today’s marketing specialists. They are certainly not shutting down their email lists as part of a savvy new strategy.


The Last Word on Email

Rather than dying, it is more likely that email will continue to have its place in a growing arsenal of web tools. Chances are excellent that email will co-exist as a useful supplement to newly created, dynamic and entertaining social networking solutions.

In addition, in its role as a communication tool for online communities, email will enable community organizers to provide their users with instant updates, further empowering the community to grow beyond its traditional walls.

Please comment and share your thoughts if you have an opinion about the value of email in today’s ever-changing social media landscape.

Mark Dykeman hosts a very interesting blog site that blends a variety of contemporary topics and serves them up in a friendly, insightful format. Mark blogs about communication, social media and technology, among other topical subjects.

Not only is Broadcasting Brain a fine destination for sharing ideas and discussing emerging concepts, this website is a great resource for linking up with other bloggers, including a comprehensive lineup of social networking blog sites.

The Social Media Buying Guide is indebted to Mark and Broadcasting Brain for collecting and publishing the most complete archive of social media blog sites we have encountered. We used the list at Broadcasting Brain as a starting point for putting together the main feed roll you see on our home page. Thanks to their RSS feeds, these important voices in the world of social media are continuously updated around the clock.

On any given day, a visit to Mark Dykeman’s forum might turn up a discussion about the health of print media in today’s recessionary environment, perhaps a post about a social media issue on everyone’s mind, or a tribute to the simple concept of knowledge and learning.

The fact is, we enjoy Broadcasting Brain even if today’s topic doesn’t speak to the heart of our social networking concerns. Give Mark and Broadcasting Brain a bit of your web time occasionally if you appreciate a thoughtful, quality thread that has enduring appeal.

Every so often, you have to discover a parody to seek the truth. This video does a hilarious job of putting the Twitter phenomenon in perspective. We know the art (or act) of Twittering is growing exponentially. But is it true that Twitter fans are, at the same time, "talking to no one yet talking to everyone?"...

 

The phenomenon of YouTube fully demonstrates the amazing evolution of video on the Internet. People like to watch videos, be entertained by them, and to share the action with friends. This is especially true in the context of a social media community—because sharing is what a community is all about.

Keeping the viral explosion of video use in perspective, your social software platform should offer members a fast, simple way of uploading videos for others to see. Many SaaS (software as a service) solutions providers partner with dedicated social media developers who specialize in video delivery.

For example, ThePort Network collaborates with the experts at Multicast to deliver high-performance video functionality to the members of its clients’ communities. Developing together, ThePort and Multicast integrate video modules into a custom platform so that users find generating content to be fun, quick—and most important—reliable.

Since easy engagement and flexible communication are hallmarks of the best white label communities, experienced social media vendors focus on video as a an essential element—one that helps people connect and consistently stimulates debate. Ideally, intuitive sharing activities will be linked to every video post. Members should have the option to rate, tag and comment on the sound & motion content. This level of engagement really helps members spend more time interacting in the community. Rallying around video also keeps your constituents returning often and gives them added reason to formally invite their online friends as well as to spread the news by word of mouth.

Word of mouth “buzz” is viral marketing at its most potent—the greatest marketing campaigns in the world cannot compete with word of mouth credibility.

In terms of sharing video, when your members discover a presentation they especially appreciate, they should be able to easily send a message to the original poster, leave a personal comment, and request that the video contributor become their friend. Along with being able to tag a specific member’s video post, a user should have an easy method of capturing the member’s video gallery in an RSS feed.

Social media video engagement continues to evolve within online communities as innovative social networking software providers create new activities linked to video content. One way or the other, growth of online video interaction will help power the growth of socially-vibrant destinations. The only question is, will the rate keep accelerating at its current, furious pace. 

Stay tuned to the latest developments in the world of social media to find out.

If you have ideas, questions or comments about the growth of video in social media applications, please share them here.