Damian Skinner

So Microsoft has now integrated Facebook and Windows Live Messenger into Outlook, bringing the newsfeeds of millions of Facebook users into inboxes across the world.

This not only pulls Facebook profile photos, but it also pulls the newsfeeds of your contacts into your inbox. Looking at someone’s e-mail, you’ll get to see their status updates, picture uploads and wall posts, etc.

The Facebook integration has limits: except for friend requests, Outlook can only pull data from Facebook. There is no “liking” posts or updating your status via Outlook, FOR NOW.

In the meantime, E-mail marketing service MailChimp is preparing to release a new version of its application that includes support for integrating “Like” buttons in e-mail campaigns. MailChimp v5.2 is being released soon and includes support for Facebook.

Look out folks! The pendulum is swinging again.

Email marketing has been taking a beating for a long time now, especially with the advent of Social Media Marketing.

Whenever something like Social Media first comes on the scene, most people tend to discount its importance, preferring instead to remain wholly committed to “tried and true” methods. Only when they hear that thar’s really gold up in them thar hills, do they come running to stake out their claim.

Unfortunately these same people tend to rid themselves of the old “tried and true” methods in the process.

A better approach is to embrace the new while still engaging with the established ways of doing business.

So wise business builders are still using email marketing.

If you’ve never used it, or used to use it but have abandoned it, now is the time to reconsider your position.

The future is coming and it’s going to look a lot like the past!