Social Media Integration - ESP examples from StrongMail, ExactTarget and Epsilon

In looking at Interactive SaaS provider, it's also interesting to see how ESPs are integrating with Social Media platform and networks. In most cases, ESPs are building campaign tools and reporting that bring email, direct web and social channels together. Here's a few examples of how ESPs have innovated from Strongmail and ExactTarget.

1. Link email and web sharing. StrongMail's Influencer product connects web and social information with email subscribers. How? Not only does the Influencer product allow a marketer to extend their email with SWYN your network functionality, it goes one step further and integrates sharing from a customer website. By connecting sharers with their subscriber status, Strongmail customers can identify which customers are active sharers from both the web and email perspective. From there, a customer can actively target them from their email platform - in the long term, measure the value of the subscribers - and which channel messages and campaigns are most effective at getting the word out.

2. Dovetail an Email with a Tweet. ExactTarget's platform allows marketers to coordinating email messages with a Twitter status, or executive a Twitter campaign along side a tweet. While I kinda cringed at a DM to all followers (just seemed to intrusive, but still follows the Twitter Rules), it certainly makes it easier to get the message out. They've also integrated bit.ly for URL shortening and tracking.

3. Integrate Email and Community Platforms. ExactTarget has had their online support community 3sixty up for a while, but on October 13th, they've productized their community platform as something for their customers and prospects to purchase. 3sixty allows is a "permission-based online social network to give prospects, customers, employees and partners a forum to gather, exchange ideas, distribute material and engage in discussion." Check out the press release. For those companies that have their own online communities and forums, integrating email with the community site is a great way to keep the community engaged and measure its success.

4. Integrating Email and Social Media Listening. Finally, Epsilon - a full service ESP has partnered with Alterian to provide social media monitoring and analysis capabilities for their clients. Alterian's SM2 product will provide social media listening data to Epsilon. View the full press release.

(Full disclosure here - I work at an ESP (Yesmail).