The Basics of E-mail Marketing

There are many forms of Internet marketing that customers use to increase their web based business. E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing that companies use to communicate with prospective customers. E-mail marketing is one of the most widely used forms of Internet marketing and companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year on it. Companies use e-mail marketing for a variety of purposes including, building customer loyalty, acquiring new customers and fundraising.

There are many advantages to using an e-mail marketing campaign, among them is cost, effectiveness, expediency, reach and conservation. Clearly the ability to distribute information to a multitude of clients quickly with minimal cost and preparation is appealing to most companies. Many companies use a program that tracks the return on their e-mail campaigns, so it also allows them the unique ability to determine how effective a particular campaign has been. Additionally, studies have shown that more than half of all Internet users check their e-mail daily, so when an e-mail campaign is done correctly it can be quite effective.

There are of course a number of disadvantages to using an e-mail campaign for Internet marketing. Much like junk mail arrives in our home mail box daily, junk e-mail called spam arrives in people's e-mail boxes too. The fact that so many companies abuse e-mail marketing and send unwilling participants unsolicited e-mails has led many Internet users to protect themselves against getting spam. Unfortunately, these spam filters can often lead to legitimate e-mail marketing campaigns ending up in a users bulk folder never to be seen or read.

To reduce the risk of being flagged as junk mail or spam by a users e-mail filter many companies have started to use what is known as opt-in advertising. Companies use this method to gain people's consent to send e-mails before sending sending them out. During a purchase or transaction companies that use the opt-in method typically ask existing customers or users of their website if they wish to subscribe to a newsletter or receive e-mail offers. This method has worked quite well for the companies that use it and they often see a higher return on the campaigns they send out because the customers receiving the offers want them.

Companies that want to use e-mail marketing as a way to market their web based business need to make sure they do so responsibly and within the boundaries of the law. Repeatedly sending out unsolicited e-mails to people who do not wish to receive them will not only frustrate them, but it can be frustrating to the company in the long-term. Spending time and money on fruitless efforts does not serve anyone's agenda, so it is best to invest the time into setting up a legitimate opt-in e-mail system if you wish to successfully employ an e-mail marketing campaign.