Email is a marketing medium that is growing in popularity among professionals (Brooks, 2005, p.40). It is based on the concepts of direct marketing which have had considerable success outside of cyberspace (Olson, 1999).
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The primary goals of email marketing are similar to other marketing mediums, in particular direct mail (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.231). Cox and Koelzer (2004, pp.229-232) identify the goals of email marketing as including:
Nonetheless, email marketing goals must be part of a business’s overall marketing goals (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.231).
One of the traditional principles of marketing is identifying the target audience; therefore, recipients of email marketing should be identified and classified.
A list of email addresses can be obtained in a number of ways however, the more preferable and credible method is through correspondence with customers, registration, order forms and email inquiries (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.230). Email addresses that are obtained by purchasing or renting a list that is accumulated from subscriptions to magazines or newsletters do not focus on the target audience (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.230). Cox and Koelzer (2004, p. 232) believe “the most effective list is one that a business assembles for itself from various interactions�?.
A successfully targeted email marketing campaign is often based on a list that is obtained from the company’s own web site and other communications, which offers a way for target groups to self-select themselves to receive emails i.e. subscription to newsletters (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.230).
“Permission marketing is a concept based on having an individual’s permission to communicate with them�? (Swanson, 2000, p.50). Swanson (2000, p.50) states that it is best utilized in email campaigns where the receiver anticipates and looks forward to an email that is directly relevant and interesting to them.
Not only does email marketing have to be directed to a specific target audience, its content should also be designed for specific customers, clients, or potential clients.
The email should be in the form of an announcement or newsletter about sales specials, which ultimately help a business achieve their overall sales and marketing goals (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.230).
More importantly, the content must be interesting and have value to the recipient, and builds on the positioning of the company, product, or service (Cox and Koelzer, 2004, p.237). It should not be just any random message.
Email marketing has the potential to offer a low-cost means to targeting individuals, thus making the exchange process more efficient (Sipior, Ward and Bonner, 2004, p.59).
However, mass email campaigns can result in overcrowded inboxes where email users are inundated with spam – also know as junk email (Sipior, Ward and Bonner, 2004, p.59). Sipior, Ward and Bonner (2004, p.59) state that according to anti-spam technology company Brightmail Inc., spam accounts for an estimated 60 percent of all Internet volume. Spam inevitably takes its toll on consumer trust.
“If utilized ethically, and thus providing quality content that users agree to receive on an intermittent basis, email marketing can efficiently reach a target market with personalized communications, at a cost lower than alternative media�? (Sipior, Ward and Bonner, 2004, p.63).
Donnabel Guillermo 23:35, 12 Oct 2005 (EST)
