Most of us jump on our work and personal computers several times
each day to check our email. It has become an effective method
of communication for work, personal relationships, and
marketing. You may have noticed you get more emails encouraging
you to purchase items than ever before. This is because email
marketing has come one of the most popular methods of reaching
consumers who make purchases online.
Email come into existence in the 1990’s as the internet was
starting to become more popular. Businesses quickly figured out
this was a great way to reach customers. It was also less
expensive than mailing out advertisements to homes. By 1995 the
number of email advertisements sent out that year was more than
the number sent out by regular mail. Businesses spend a great
deal of money creating email marketing campaigns that won’t be
confused with spam.
In fact, email marketing hit a huge road block when spam filters
became so popular. Many email marketing campaigns had to be
revamped as they were being wiped out by the filters. Businesses
were losing money on the marketing campaigns and not getting any
results. However savvy computer programmers and businesses soon
learned that effective email marketing titles and headlines as
well as using their real email address helped get the emails
past the various spam filters.
The internet was once used for research, entertainment and work
related functions. The idea of shopping online has become very
convenient in our society. After all, it allows you to compare
prices in a flash. Most of us are too busy to run from store to
store. Shopping online has given those in remote locations the
chance to get all the gadgets out there they desire. It is only
logical that consumers are paying more attention to email
marketing since this is the method they are using to do a large
portion of their shopping. Email marketing has become
mainstream. Almost every website gives the consumer the
opportunity to give their email address and consent to being
solicited with email advertising.
On the other side of the coin are those who hate getting their
email filled up with email marketing ploys. This is why every
email sent from a business has to include a link that gives the
consumer the opportunity to opt out. Businesses have to respect
this choice made by the consumer and remove them from the
mailing list. This was the result of legislation stepping in
when the idea of email marketing started flooding every email
address out there. There are rules and laws in place now to
protect consumers against having their privacy invaded. The
penalty for violating these laws include expensive fines and the
possibility of jail time.
However, with the acceptance of email marketing by consumers
comes their demands for effective advertising that meets there
needs. Getting the email to the consumer is only half of the
battle. The information you send them has to grab their
attention and entice them to take the link to your website and
make a purchase. Your email should be a teaser that it going to
make the consumer curious enough to go directly to your website
at that very moment. There is a lot of competition out there and
businesses are having to come up with wittier and smarter email
marketing campaigns to keep their consumers interested.
To Your Success,
Muhammad Riduan Ramli (Uanz)
P.S.
Email marketing will continue to evolve as those sending them
have to find innovative ways to capture the attention of the
consumer while getting ahead of their competition. Don’t expect
email marketing to be replaced any time soon. It is anticipated
2.8 million dollars will be spent on email marketing campaigns
in 2008. With that volume comes more responsibility on the end
of the businesses that use email marketing. Not only do they
have to follow the laws and regulations set, they have to
respect the consumer as well as appeal to them. Businesses know
that email marketing is on the rise so they have no choice but
to participate in it or be blown away by the competition.
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