Permission-based e-mail marketing campaigns are the only way to go in terms of building and maintaining positive customer relationships. When customers grant permission to a marketer to contact them via e-mail, it opens the way for ongoing communication that is wanted and considered more relevant and less intrusive than other media. That is, provided the content and frequency of communications are well managed.
The goodwill spawned by permission marketing programs can be hurt when e-mail messages become off-topic from what customers indicated were the types of information they wanted to receive from a company. Also, too many messages, even if they are offers for sales or special savings, can turn recipients against companies that become too aggressive in their e-mail marketing efforts.
Marketers will be put to the test this holiday season as they battle a weak economy by offering consumers many promotions to encourage purchases. E-mail campaigns driven by permission marketing can be very effective; avoid alienating people who want to hear from you by over-communicating with them.
Link: USA Today – “E-Tailers Push E-Mail Discounts to Lure Shoppers”
I agree 100%. E-mail marketing works, but not when it is too aggressive. Recently, I signed up for SELF magazines fitness tips. Their website encourages readers to to this in order to get workout tips, healthy recipes and so forth. In a few days I unsubscribed due to the massive amounts of e-mails from them in my inbox. I thought I was signing up for one newsletter a week, but instead received about four in a couple of days.
Email marketing works when it is done well. I receive emails from a couple of companies and I only receive 1 email a week if even that. Companies just need to learn to calm down. Companies, you are still in the mind of consumers, so don’t remind them of you every day. I have received so many emails from a company once, I canceled my subscription. Receiving too many emails has been the downfall to a couple of companies for me, but I’ve never received emails that were off topic.