LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 10, 2012) - Leveraging social media websites beyond Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn is one way for a small business to further grow customer lists, increase website traffic and build brand awareness. Campaigner®, an email marketing service and brand of j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ JCOM ]) that empowers companies to better attract and retain business through creative email marketing campaigns, offers five ways to increase the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns. Selecting targeted visuals from social photo sharing websites like Pinterest and Gentlemint can enhance marketing content, encourage customer interaction and raise social media responses.

As the adage states, a picture is worth a thousand words. Unlike social websites that rely on a limited number of characters to increase brand awareness and product availability, sites like Pinterest and Gentlemint focus instead on graphics rather than explanations through words. According to Pinterest, the public is strongly responding to the visual pinboard concept. [ Since its launch in 2010, Pinterest has grown to over 10.4 million members and daily users have increased 145 percent since the beginning of the year ].

Campaigner offers several time-saving [ tools to add visual imagery ] to email marketing campaigns. Now photos and graphics referenced from online sources can be used for additional value on sites like Pinterest and Gentlemint to engage and generate new leads. Visual content boards are an effective way for browsers to discover pinned content and seek out more information, making it a powerful referral platform for a small business. Customers and website visitors that share content become product advocates and their followers will be more likely to subscribe to an email marketing program or at least have more opportunities for engagement with a business and its brand.

Campaigner suggests the following five tips for making the most out of new visual social platforms:

1. Find the right audience -- Pinterest membership is female dominated. Top pins are about crafts, gifts, interior design and fashion. Gentlemint has a smaller base and is primarily comprised of a male readership. Try one social platform before diving in based on the audience. If targeting both sites, keep the audience in mind when choosing photos to add to boards.

2. Get the news out -- Once the account is set up, include the board link in all new email marketing campaigns. For example, add a [ 'Follow us' button on Pinterest ] within a campaign email alongside the links to pages on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.

3. Captivate and capture -- Make it as easy as possible to subscribe to an email marketing program. Include a sign-up form in a prominent position on every website page, on Pinterest and/or Gentlemint boards and pages on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. To increase the number of new opt-ins, consider including a targeted incentive offer to sign-up. A dedicated sign-up form is another easy method to track the impact of this sign-up source.

4. Make new friends but keep the old -- Don't neglect other tried and true social networks. Additional reach can be gained if those pinning a business' content are also linked to Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. Content shared on one social platform may be shared on another; thus extending the exposure while increasing customer engagement and driving people to a company's website.

5. Build from what is gleaned -- With Campaigner, emails sent to subscribers contain trackable links, providing insight into what the subscriber clicked on in order to get to a website. Use this information to monitor the click through rates and resulting Web traffic. This will help determine if this is a tactic that should be continued and perhaps even updated more frequently. One way to do this is to pin images of the newest products and services and include links back to the company website in the Pin's description. Popular content can also be repinned regularly to keep boards fresh.

For more information about Campaigner, visit [ www.campaigner.com ].

About Campaigner®

[ Campaigner ] email marketing enables small, medium and large businesses to strengthen customer relationships and drive sales by connecting with their customers quickly, simply and affordably. Features include professional [ email campaign ] creation, multiple ways to grow and manage lists, integration with CRM and the utilization of campaign metrics and reports to increase results. Campaigner is a brand and registered trademark of j2 Global Canada, Inc., an affiliate of j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ JCOM ]). Learn more and visit Campaigner at [ www.campaigner.com ].

About j2 Global™

j2 Global (NASDAQ: [ JCOM ]) provides cloud services for business, offering Internet fax, virtual phone, hosted email, email marketing, online backup, unified communications, and CRM solutions. Founded in 1995, the company's messaging network spans more than 49 countries on six continents. j2 Global markets its services principally under the brand names eFax®, eVoice®, FuseMail®, Campaigner®, KeepItSafe®, and Onebox®. As of December 31, 2011, j2 Global had achieved 16 consecutive fiscal years of revenue growth. For more information about j2 Global, please visit [ www.j2global.com ].