Companies are not linking email with social media, a report has found.

Firms using parcel delivery and courier services need to do more to join up email with social media, a new report has said.

The UK's first European Social Media and Email Marketing study from eCircle has found that very few brands are integrating social media with email.

This is despite the fact that 73 per cent of firms responding to the survey can be reached through their social networks and 95 per cent are checking their emails every day.

Volker Wiewer, chief executive officer of eCircle, explained that the majority of studies on social media have focused on what consumers use social networks for.

"In this research we took a different approach; investigating who is using different social networks and what motivates them to publish and share information," he added.

Mr Wiewer went on to say that rather than deciding which is the most influential or effective marketing channel, marketers should understand why people are behaving a certain way on social networks and email.

"This will then allow them to use the most appropriate channel for their campaigns," he concluded.

Empathica recently reported that 60 per cent of consumers use social media to follow brands.

Posted by Rob Elliott 

Article Added: 10/12/2010 16:58:51