Combining social media channels with email marketing campaigns has always been a delicate art for some and a total headache for others. Some companies have totally different social media teams and email marketing teams. That means that strategies and content often aren’t in alignment. And, consequently, the channels operate in a silo.
But what if you could combine the rapid-fire mobile engagement of a channel like Instagram with the dedicated, direct touch of email marketing campaigns?
Integrating Instagram content within an email can help grow both channels.
Instagram is the fastest-growing social network today, outpacing Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Last December, the social network announced a milestone of 300 million users.
So how can brands make the most of Instagram and supercharge their email marketing campaigns in the process?
One way is to host a contest. Here’s how Saks Fifth Avenue did it:
A Fashionable Approach
Saks Fifth Avenue built a contest around an automated feed of the latest Instagram photos. By promoting the #SaksSelfie hashtag to the company’s subscriber base, Saks guaranteed that even more customers would engage with the Instagram campaign, especially given the fact that they could win a $1,000 gift card.
This also gave a personal touch to the photos. Every participant in the contest showed off how they were wearing the latest jacket from Saks, creating a real sense of community around the brand.
Instagram posts have a short lifespan. But with Movable Ink’s contextual marketing platform, Saks was able to integrate the latest Instagram photos in real-time with targeted email campaigns, combing both channels to create a dynamic and engaging experience.
By using contextual marketing to serve the latest social content in emails, Saks transformed each email into an exciting invitation to something that was happening in the moment.
Want to learn more about responsive & contextual email design strategies and why context is critical? Watch our webcast and download our slides, “9 Ways You Can Build Effective Mobile Email Marketing Campaigns” to learn nine different ways brands are using responsive email strategies today.
