Permission marketing is one of the most useful tools in a marketer’s communication toolkit. People agree to receive e-mails from your company. Their consent potentially overcomes the message clutter barrier that can hamper otherwise well conceived promotion campaigns. What could possibly go wrong when we have one’s permission to send e-mails?
Getting consumers’ permission to send e-mail is one hurdle; sending messages with relevant and compelling content is another hurdle, one that is not always cleared. According to a survey by Epsilon and ROI Research, unsubscribing from opt-in e-mails is a problem facing marketers. Survey results found 55% of North American recipients of permission marketing messages unsubscribe occasionally, and 14% said they unsubscribe frequently. The reasons? Irrelevant content (67%) and too many e-mails sent (64%) were the top two. A third reason was concern that e-mail address was being sold or shared (50%).
These results provide a call for responsible use of e-mail among marketers. Permission entails an obligation not to abuse the privilege of e-mail communication with a customer or prospect. Just like a person who gets tuned out because they talk about irrelevant topics or talk too much, a company can become a nuisance by sending e-mails that are uninteresting or too frequent. Customer permission is a significant commitment to gain. Treat permission respectfully to minimize the possibility of unsubscribes to your permission-based list.
eMarketer: “Why E-Mail Subscribers Unsubscribe”
