Being a Savvy E-Mail Marketer

Using Opt-In Messaging to Build Positive Customer Relations

One of the reasons that the European Union decided to legislate opt-in e-mail marketing is because (as stated in a July press release from the EU commission) "the proliferation of unsolicited commercial e-mail, or 'spam', has reached a point where it creates a problem for the development of e-commerce and the Information Society. Businesses and individuals spend an increasing amount of time and money simply to clean up e-mailboxes".

According to the anti-spam technology firm BrightMail, spam messages account for more than 50 percent of all e-mail messages delivered. Businesses and consumers spend an increasing amount of time deleting spam messages. Unsolicited commercial e-mail leads to low response rates and a negative brand image. In light of this, the most important question for your organization is:

"How will we benefit from sending marketing messages only to those who have given prior consent?"

Your organization will benefit by achieving increased response rates on your e-mail marketing campaigns and corporate newsletter deliveries. Why? It's simple. People are more likely to read e-mail that they want to receive. As a matter of fact, correctly executed, opt-in e-mail marketing campaigns have proven to be one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing strategies on the Internet.

While spam renders response rates far below one-tenth of a percent, opt-in e-mail campaigns can generate response rates as high as 15 percent, according to the research firm Gartner. In comparison, according to the same firm, Web ad banners generate a response rate fifteen times lower than opt-in e-mail. In a recent study by the Direct Marketing Association, e-mail is identified as producing twice the return on investment (ROI) than direct mail.

Sending e-mail marketing messages only to those who give permission to receive them is not about being nice; it's about being a savvy marketer with a goal to generate the best possible results. Opt-in e-mail marketing helps your organization achieve its marketing objectives effectively without negativity.

It is a simple formula: Opt-in equals trust. Trust equals the opportunity of building long-term relationships with customers. And retaining customers using e-mail is about the most effective marketing strategy an organization can adopt!

Mattias Durnik is the Global Marketing Analyst for L-Soft