We have been making some changes on SocialFresh.com lately. And while we try not to cover ourselves too much, I thought it would be useful to share with you some of the motivations behind the new look you see.
Some of the changes are minor branding tweaks. Some are an attempt to make the website easier to use and remove any confusion for you, the end user. But a big change is our focus on email. You will notice in the sidebar that we ask for your email twice.
Why Email?
Email is still the most important customer touchpoint for a business. It puts the control of the relationship in each individual’s hands. Not Google, not the sites that link to you, not a bookmark somewhere. The customer decides if you get to email them. That opt in is a powerful endorsement that email can turn into a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
Each subscriber decides if they want to stay in touch with your business or not and they do so on their terms. That type of relationship holds a high value, creates loyal fans, and is a bit safer then putting all your apples in the Google basket.
RSS, Facebook, Twitter and many other softer subscription nodes are important. But they are not as consistent, long-term, and binding as email. All of these channels are a piece of a broader strategy of course, but if you have to emphasize one, I choose email.