E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses email as a means of communicating messages to its audience. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing.

 

Email marketing usually refers to:

• Sending e-mails with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or old customers and to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
• Sending e-mails with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing old customers to buy something immediately.

 

Opt-in email advertising or permission marketing is a method of advertising via electronic mail whereby the recipient of the advertisement has consented to receive it.

 

A common example of permission marketing is a newsletter sent to a firm’s customers. Newsletters like this are a way to let customers know about upcoming events or promotions, or new products. In this type of advertising, a company that wants to send a newsletter to their customers may ask them at the point of purchase if they would like to receive this newsletter.

 

E-mail marketing is popular with companies because:

1. Compared to direct mailing or printed newsletters the costs are negligible. The advertiser does not need to pay for production, paper, printing or postage.
2. As opposed to a mailed advertisement, an email arrives in a few seconds or minutes.
3. It lets the advertiser "push" the message to its audience, as opposed to a website that waits for customers to come in.
4. It is easy to track. An advertiser can track bounce-backs , positive or negative responses, click-throughs , rise in sales.
5. It has been proven succesful when well done.
6. When most people switch on their computer the first thing they do is check their email.
7. Specific types of interaction with messages can trigger other messages to be automatically delivered.

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