“What’s your email address?”, a business contact asks. And I say, “I don’t have one. But, you can contact me through your preferred social network. LinkedIn perhaps?” Silence. He looks at me as if I was from the dark ages, hesitates, and says, “What do you mean you don’t have an email address? Everybody has one.”
I’m transitioning out of email. I’ve just begun and I know it will take time before I accomplish this crazy feat. But, why in heavens name am I doing this?
We’ve Become Social
The social networks have dominated the Internet space and for some of us, our lives. It has become beyond personal and businesses are scrambling to figure out how this can be useful to increase their bottom line. The enterprises are doing it and small businesses are following suit. Most have chat boxes as a means for us to communicate with our network. It has become a norm. This is my normal.
My Social Inbox
Thanks to Nimble, checking social inbox across major social networks has been easier. One interface syncs messages from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. As it links to a contact, managing conversations and accessing chat history becomes simpler. For other networks, Hootsuite provides helpful functionality.
An email starts with a subject and ends when the thread is over. It’s too impersonal. “But, isn’t that the whole point?”, you say. Yes, it could be. But why not continue conversation there? Isn’t that what social is all about? Going beyond a message helps build lasting relationships. The streams keep users updated with each person’s interests, establishing trust and deeper connection.
My Step-by-Step Quest
For those who might want to join in (or just curious about the process):
- Using Rapportive and Nimble, connect with contacts and request network addition.
- If tools can’t find them within social space, send an email to reconnect and ask about profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus or Twitter.
- Now, it’s time to send a request.
- Once they’ve added you, start sending messages through their social inbox, based on preferred network. It’s crucial knowing which they check often or messages won’t be read.
It’s easy but a difficult transition to make. It’s important to keep conversation within those networks. Good headway has been made with some contacts who now know how to reach out — not through email.
One last point: most emails have been abandoned, keeping at least 2 for account creation or maintenance, not communication.
News Update (June 16, 2013)
HubSpot launched their Social Inbox, which appears similar to what Nimble attempts. Have you tried their social media tools yet?
Photo credit: Kittisak