Do Facebook fans mean more business?

Do a lot of Facebook fans, Twitter followers and email subscribers equate to more business for your company?

Marketing experts from across the country will gather in Greensboro next week to discuss that subject, among others, at the 2011 Marketing Summit for Today’s World.

Speakers include Jeff Rohrs, vice president of marketing at email marketing software company ExactTarget, who will present on the critical differences within email, Facebook and Twitter audiences.

“It’s not a question of ‘Will Facebook kill email?’ or ‘Will Twitter kill Facebook?’” Rohrs said. “It’s not rock paper scissors. It’s much more kind of a collective view, and the consumers who use all three use them for very different purposes.”

Of the U.S. population currently connected to the Internet, more than 95 percent have email, Rohrs said. Just over 70 percent have Facebook accounts, and 19 percent have Twitter accounts (though only nine percent are active on the microblogging site).

Rohrs said his presentation will focus on the importance of building and maintaining online audiences so companies can market to and activate those audiences in a meaningful way.

Other speakers include former marketing executive Marilyn Carpenter, who will present on the best ways for companies to thrive online while still creating value for customers. David Grayson, vice president of sales for mobile news network LSN Mobile, will discuss mobile marketing solutions for companies.

The marketing summit will be held Thursday, April 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum/Special Events Center.

Sponsors for the event include Greensboro-based trade show design firm Apple Rock Displays and Greensboro-based web marketing firm BEM Interactive.