Social Media

File this one under cool things to try in 2010: Facebook Fan Page administrators can now let their fans create personalized e-newsletters including content from the fan page.

Fb-funded NutshellMail, which operates a web based service that culls social media applications,  recently introduced the new feature to its web service.

The NutshellMail Facebook application allows you, as your e-commerce site’s Fan Page admin, to add an “Email Newsletter” tab to your page. By adding a newsletter, fans can opt-in to receive e-mailed content — highlighting your most recent posts — along with their Facebook updates.

Installing the application is fairly easy.

Step 1. On the Nutshell Facebook Application Page, select your page and click “Add Nutshell Mail”

Step 2. Select EMail Newsletter from the Drop Down Tab.

Step 3. Follow the App’s instructions for how to receive updates. In order for this to work, you’ll need to allow the Application access to your Facebook profile. Don’t worry, your person status updates will not go out to your Fan Page Fans.

Step 4. Be sure to promote your new e-newsletter function to your fans as well as in your next email send to customers.

Once your email is approved (Step 3), you can adjust your account settings to receive e-mail updates as often (or as little) as you want.  You can customize what you receive  Using the Account Settings > Pages tab on Nutshellmail.com.

As for why an e-commerce site would want to add this function to its Fan Page, studies show that consumers are more likely to purchase based on their own opt-in preferences to e-mail. What better way to get your brand in front of your consumers or fans than to be in an email they opted to have you in.