Email marketing works based on a simple idea of people subscribing to your news or updates via email. Therefore, they need to agree to get what you will be sending them in the first place. In a nutshell, it is called Permission-Bases Email Marketing. 

What is "Permission-Based" Email Marketing?

Responsible email marketing is based on the idea of permission. This is a complex issue and the subject of intense debate in the society.

Essentially, you need an email address owner's permission before you can send them a commercial email. If you don't have this permission, then the recipients of your mail may well regard your message as spam; unsolicited commercial (bulk) email.

You definitely do not want to send spam!

If you are accused of sending spam, then you may find your email accounts closed down, your website shut off, and your reputation in tatters. In some parts of the world, you may even be breaking the law, especially in Singapore.

The big question, of course, is what constitutes permission...and that is the main subject of debate. It's important to remember that it's not your views, or even the views of the majority, that count, but the views of those receiving your emails and those responsible for administering the infrastructure of the Internet.

An example of permission is when your customer buys something from your online store and also ticks a box marked "please send me news about product updates via email". You now have "permission" to send that person product updates by email, provided you also give them the opportunity to rescind that permission at any time. Or you have the permission to add your existing clients to your database to email them the latest updates.

Why it works

Email marketing works for a variety of reasons...

1. It allows targeting
2. It is data driven
3. It drives direct sales
4. It builds relationships, loyalty and trust
5. It supports sales through other channels

Modern email marketing services and solutions support database integration, segmentation and various other tricks and techniques for improving the targeting of outgoing messages. Advanced methods generate on-the-fly emails customized down to an individual recipient basis.

And every email campaign you send out generates a heap of actionable data you can use to refine your approach and messages.

Email promotions and offers generate immediate action: sales, downloads, inquiries, registrations, etc. Informative email newsletters and other emails send people to offline stores and events, prepare the way for catalogs, build awareness, contribute to branding, strengthen relationships, encourage trust and cement loyalty.

All in all, a pretty good way of going about your marketing business. But...

Email marketing is especially popular because it can be much cheaper than traditional mail marketing. After all, email does not incur printing or postage fees. This does not mean, however, that email is free. An email marketing campaign may actually incur a number of different kinds of fees. If the company hires someone to design, write copy for, or oversee the emailing in any way, or has a full-time staff member for this type of work, the salary or fee of this individual must be taken into account. Furthermore, there will be a fee if the email addresses are purchased through an email broker. 

One of the great things about email marketing is that it can reach a wide audience in a short period of time. Furthermore, an email marking campaign can include a number of successive emails that build upon one another. One of the most common forms of a building email marking campaign is one that targets a specific upcoming date such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, or National Day.

Both email promotions and email newsletters have their place. My advice is to use both in your email marketing plan, but treat them differently to maximize the value of each communication type.

Use a promotion to:

1. Help you get your share of holiday business
2. Boost sales, appointments or traffic in otherwise slow months
3. Promote your brand
4. Clear space for new stock
5. Move excess inventory
6. Get your name in front of a new or existing customer
7. Or, reward your most loyal customers

Use a newsletter to:

1. Build relationships with your customers and prospects
2. Position your company as a valuable resource
3. Obtain and retain the mind share of your customers
4. Educate and inform your customers
5. Build your credibility over time
6. Widen your audience via "word-of-mouth"
7. Begin a dialog with your readers by asking for reader feedback