Social Sharing Boosts Email CTR Up To 115% [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Hanna Andrzejewska at GetResponse: 

Social sharing is an unstoppable trend in email marketing. Actually, we could risk stating a thesis: email is a social tool, too. Why? Just check out the figures from our latest research on the impact of social sharing, which we unveiled in the infographic Email Marketing + Social Media. When 1+1 Equals More Than 2.

Before you actually proceed to check out the striking results revealed in the report, ask yourself one simple question:

Do I share?

If yes, proceed to the infographic to get sound, physical proof of the effectiveness of your social strategies.
If no, proceed to the infographic to see what you’re missing, and ask yourself the second question:

Why don’t I share?

The major finding of the GetResponse analysis is that the number of users who include social sharing buttons in their emails increased to 18.3%. Compared to last year’s results, that’s an increase of 40%.
But that level is still comparatively low, if contrasted with the exceptionally high performance results for newsletters that included social sharing buttons. Those emails had a click-through-rate (CTR) up to 115% higher. Check out yourself:

Highlights of the infographic

• Facebook, included in 91% of social emails, outdistanced Twitter, becoming the most popular sharing option. Its popularity increased by 10% compared to 2010. That’s a huge jump, compared to Twitter’s 25% drop.
• LinkedIn sharing buttons are less popular than last year. The number of emails that include it dropped 25% since last year. This drop only emphasizes the jump in effectiveness of the LinkedIn link. The CTR for emails that include it has soared by almost 400%, making LinkedIn the top performer in CTR – that’s a result worth fighting for.
• The outstanding CTR results for social emails (up to 115% higher) contrasted with the comparatively small number of actual shares per 10,000 emails (Facebook: 23, Twitter: 7, LinkedIn: 4) only further punctuate their extended viral impact.

What does it all mean?

Sharing is power.

Facebook has over 800 million active users worldwide, each with an average of 130 contacts. All are potential ambassadors of your brand. Just imagine the buzz one single campaign can create… or the damage from one publicized complaint.

This sheds a completely new light on customer-brand communication. Brands need to assume a more personal tone, respect individual voices and react in real time to all sorts of feedback. Brands that create a true relationship with their customers and respond to their needs with relevant and timely offers will benefit greatly from the enthusiasm of their fans.
All of that, just by providing sharing options in emails. And the best part is that with GetResponse there’s no added cost to include social media sharing, so it’s pure ROI.

About Hanna Andrzejewska: Hanna is Communication and Marketing Specialist for GetResponse and the latest addition to the Team. She gained her experience writing for other specialty blogs and as a copywriter, translator, teacher and interpreter. She is also an enthusiast of social media and viral marketing.