If you decided to indulge in email marketing and are still going strong with it, you probably agree that it was a wise move from a business perspective. However, as effective as this vehicle may be, it can only take you so far. It’s sort of the like the great individual basketball player who scores a lot of points in isolation plays, yet sees his utility diminish when facing a squad that has bought into the team concept.

In today’s digital business economy, an integrated strategy is increasingly shifting from being an option to a necessity. Luckily, email marketing is well suited to supplement your other online marketing efforts. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Website Promotion

Whether it is selling portable media players or consulting services, a website is at the core of every online marketing strategy. This is the channel you are working all the time to draw potential customers to your products or services. Email marketing can be an integral part of the plan from beginning to end. When you send your subscribers a message promoting a sale or highlighting important information, you are essentially promoting your website, inviting them to pay a visit and learn more about what you have to offer. When you put those signup boxes on each of your web pages, you are inviting visitors to join you in the email channel so they can eventually find their way back to your website.

Lead Generation

Lead generation is an important part of online marketing, especially for those in the B2B segment. Marketers employ various methods to generate leads, including creating referral programs, investing in search advertising and working the social networks. While your free report may be designed to influence decision makers, there is nothing holding you back from using it to grow your email list as well. When executing your lead generation strategy, ask prospects if they would like to join your mailing list. Briefly outline the benefits of being a member, but be careful not to create a distraction that causes you to miss out on both opportunities.

Social Media Marketing

The influence of networks like Facebook and Twitter continues to show us that social media can no longer be ignored. Every day, people are logging in to these sites and many others to interact with friends, apps and brands. If you are currently using social media to promote your business, email marketing can be of great assistance. The informative newsletters, the discounts, the irresistible sales offers – are all resources that can convince your social media followers to join your mailing list. Once you combine these two channels, the benefits of extended reach, increased engagement, and viral marketing opportunities are within your grasp.

Consistency Matters

Consistency is the key to successfully using email marketing to supplement your other online marketing initiatives. If your email is boasting a huge discount, your website better reflect the same cost savings when the reader clicks through. More often than not, failing to maintain consistency results in a failed integrated marketing strategy.