If your DM vs email outreach strategy is failing, it’s tempting to blame the channel you’re using. Email open rates suffering? Of course it’s because email is outdated. DMs going unanswered? Obviously, it’s because people are sick of social media.
Or…
It’s actually because you’re missing out on how to utilise both for a smart outreach strategy. What’s a smart outreach strategy? Stick around until the end of this article to find out. First, let’s highlight how you should be using the differences between DMs and emails to your benefit.
Developing a DM Outreach Strategy
How you should be using DMs is in their name: Direct Messages. DMs are better fitted for conversational, quick back-and-forth interactions – the kind that build curiosity. So, if you’re writing DMs like emails then can you really be surprised people aren’t responding?
Social media is supposed to come with the promise of content that can be consumed quickly. Your DMs need to be sent with this in mind. Breaking down your offer into massive paragraphs or prioritising your pitch over building a connection is a waste of yours and your prospects’ time.
For more actionable ways to develop genuine connections, check out this guide on how to build rapport with prospects and clients.
Crafting an Effective Email Strategy
Emails will always feel a little “old school”, but there’s a good reason for this. Unlike social media, email doesn’t rely on an algorithm or demand an instant response. People are more likely to open a detailed email since they can browse it at their leisure. And, if you’ve built your email list right, you’re talking to a captive audience.
However, even with a captive audience (people that have already shown previous interest), the subject line of your email is crucial. It needs to create urgency and curiosity without using false or misleading statements. Not only do you risk angering people with these kinds of subject lines, you also risk that email being sent directly to their spam folder.
Combining Your DM and Email Outreach Strategy
Here is where we get to the smart outreach strategy that combines both DMs and emails. In a nutshell, you want to be using DMs to get your foot in the door, to make the essential first connection with your prospects that gets a conversation going.
Use DM outreach to:
- Make an introduction
- Create curiosity
- Build rapport
- Nurture the conversation
Once you’ve established this connection and built curiosity then you can ask for an email address to share more in-depth information.
Use email outreach to:
- Share resources such as how-tos or breakdowns
- Share webinar replays
- Offer more information about your service
The reason this is the smartest way to utilise both DM and email outreach is because it establishes familiarity with your prospects before you bombard them with information. Even if it’s information that will benefit them, no one wants to have their inboxes filled with unsolicited sales information.
Ultimately, the most successful DM vs email outreach strategy doesn’t pit one channel against the other, it uses them as a cohesive unit.
If you’re struggling to make that initial connection, get in touch with the PINAKL team. We’ll put you in contact with your ideal prospects and help build the familiarity you need to move the conversation forward.