I’m here in Chicago for the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer. No surprise, the main topic this week is how to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to expand the marketing reach of businesses and organizations. But rather than echo last week’s Wall Street Journal article about social media's growth signaling the end of email, on day one, some of the marketing world’s leading experts were talking about how email and social media can work together.

In one session, Harvey Morris, from the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, explained that if your customers are more engaged, they’ll want to participate in social media with you and give you their email address. Less engaged customers may only participate in social media and won't give you their email address. He added that social media should be used to spark customers’ interests in what you have to offer, and email marketing should be used to maintain it.

Later, at Wednesday’s keynote session, Scott Rosenberg, a co-founder of Salon and the author of Say Everything, explained that new forms of media don’t kill off “old” media like email — they just redefine them and how they're used. It's similar to how people thought the movies might kill live theater, or how television was supposed to kill off the movies. Email will continue to evolve as social media continues to evolve. It's not going away anytime soon.

Suffice it to say, it was a great day for fans of email marketing. Here are some other takeaways from day one of the Mixer:

• The old business model of simply broadcasting a message to customers and members is over, marketing consultant Karen Talavera explained. Instead of selling to customers and not serving them, the new model is selling by serving. Businesses and organizations want to have a conversation with their customers and members, and if they do so, they’ll create long-term value.
• Karen also declared that “email is a workhorse,” and that it lies at the center of the new “marketing fusion.” With so many social media outlets and other places to promote your business or organization, it’s email that directs your customers and members and tells them where you want them to go. No other media out there has such influence and power.
• An entertaining and insightful conversation took place at the midday keynote between Scott, author Andy Sernovitz, and HARO founder Peter Shankman. Speaking about social media, Shankman explained that when you provide great customer service, you basically let your customers do your public relations work for you. Andy said it most simply: “Happy customers are your best advertisers." He added that if you can provide your customers with relevant content in your email newsletters (as opposed to just sending ads and sale notifications), you will build "a permanent audience."

And of course, I can’t forget to mention the German accordion player who wandered the floor during the Oktoberfest celebration after all the day’s sessions were over. He helped provide a spirited end to a day of spirited presentations.

Much more to come on these topics and more in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and keep reading this blog. In the meantime, I can’t wait to see what day two of the Mixer has in store.