E-mail marketers release social networking integration tools

E-mail marketing service providers announced new platforms this week that take advantage of consumers' appetite for social media.

For one, ExactTarget announced it will release a tool that integrates e-mail marketing capabilities into Twitter. The integration allows marketers to select content in an ExactTarget-powered e-mail, then trigger a Tweet and direct message to followers when the message is sent. The Twitter integration tool will be available to e-mail marketers on November 6. Its launch follows the release of ExactTarget's Social Media Kit, which integrates e-mail with Facebook and MySpace.

Other e-mail service providers, including Datran Media, StrongMail and Epsilon have released social media tools that integrate with e-mail marketing programs. Marketers use the tools for both customer retention and acquisition.

E-mail provider Pivotal Veracity announced October 13 that it has updated its e-mail marketing system to include optimization for MySpace and for various mobile phones, including the Google Android and the Palm Pre. The vendor already offers optimization for the iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile. The company launched the tools to ease the work of marketers trying to connect with consumers wherever they might be checking their e-mail.

“It's really building on our existing strategy, which is to help marketers optimize the deliverability, rendering and reputation of their digital communications across all channels,” said Jordan Cohen, senior director of marketing and public relations at Pivotal Veracity. “Your e-mail is being read not just on computers but as a myriad of mobile devices and you can repost e-mails to your social networking sites.”