We've all heard claims that e-mail is dying and that the next social media platform—whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest or Snapchat—is the new silver bullet for marketers.

But e-mail marketing is far from dead, and every agency owner should place e-mail ahead of social media efforts. This is not meant to steer you away from social media, but to help you prioritize your efforts by focusing on “low-hanging fruit.”

The fact is, 60% of consumers prefer communicating with brands through regular e-mail updates and newsletters, according to MarketingSherpa. Here's why you should master e-mail before social media:

• You already have the e-mail addresses of your clients. A seasoned agency may have 2,000 to 4,000 clients, and hopefully has e-mail addresses for the majority of them. Contrast that with social media; even Facebook superstars are only going to convince 10% to 20% of their entire books to join them on social media. This number is even less if the demographic is older.

• Your clients or prospects don't have to “join” a new social network to engage with you. This one is key. Almost everyone has an e-mail address, but not everyone is on social media. What you can be sure of is reaching your clients via their inbox through e-mail marketing.

• E-mail marketing is the best option for customer touchpoints. If you're going to make the effort to create awesome content, then get the most out of your efforts by sharing it with your entire book of business.

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