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Email Marketing
By: James Angell, Posted on: 2008-01-31

Internet marketing by using email is really no secret--we've all seen it in our own email inboxes. It is a form of direct marketing that uses emails to communicate with potential customers. Email marketing has been in use since email began and has proven to be an easy, effective, and inexpensive advertising method. It's so popular that estimates indicate companies within the United States alone spent $400 million on email marketing in 2006.

Broadly, email marketing could refer to any email sent to potential customers. However, there are a few things that set certain emails apart as true email marketing. Emails that are categorized as real email marketing do one of the following:

--Improve and enhance the relationship between the business and their customers so that repeat business is encouraged.

--Attract new customers.

--Convince past customers to make a purchase.

--Include advertisements for companies other than the one that is sending the email.

There are many advantages to email marketing. For one thing, it allows businesses to quickly and easily reach a large number of customers through a mailing list. Sending email is also much more economical than sending print advertisements, and the results of the advertising can be easily tracked through the use of the links in the email.

Email marketing is also an instantaneous form of advertising that needn't wait on print schedules. An email advertisement can be sent with just a click of the mouse, so businesses can react very quickly to new trends and changes in the market.

One aspect of email marketing that is increasing its popularity among both businesses and consumers is that it is environmentally friendly. There's no need to cut down trees for paper and, therefore, no paper to fill up the landfills. If a customer doesn't want the advertisement, they click the delete button.

Though there are many advantages to using email marketing, there are also some disadvantages. The biggest and best-known disadvantage is spam. Unfortunately, before acts like the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 that prohibit the use of spam, many companies sent unsolicited bulk emails to everyone and anyone. As a result, Internet users found their inboxes flooded with ads they didn't want. In response to those spam emails, Internet users weren't reading any of the email ads they received--even the legitimate ones.

Because of the early use of spam, companies are still trying to rebuild the reputation of email marketing. Today, marketers who violate the CAN-SPAM Act are subject to an $11,000 fine for each individual receiving a spam email. To help ensure compliance with this act, many marketers choose to use specialized software to help them follow the law.

There are service providers who will assist businesses with setting up their email marketing campaigns to remain in compliance with laws. These services include email templates and handle the subscriptions and removals of individuals from the mailing list. They also provide their clients with information about the number of messages that were actually opened and how many individuals actually clicked on the links contained in the messages.

The use of opt-in lists has greatly helped to reduce spam. Visitors to a website can choose to register to receive email messages from the business. This is called "opting-in." These customers can also remove themselves from the list when they no longer wish to receive messages from the company. Using an opt-in list not only helps the customer avoid unwanted email, it also helps the company to ensure they remain in compliance with anti-spam laws.

All in all, email marketing can be an exceptional way to draw new and repeat customers to a business. However, businesses that choose to create an email marketing campaign must be familiar with the regulations surrounding the use of email for advertising purposes. The penalties for violating the law are steep, and sending spam email will serve to alienate more customers than it will ever attract.

Article Source: http://www.articledirectory.bluegrasssolutions.org

My name is James Angell. The best way to learn about how to create traffic through email marketing is from Robert Puddy. His website is entitled "Advertising Know How". For a free membership signup just click on the ad at www.easywayincome.com

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