Are you neglecting your mailing list?

Most businesses compile mailing lists with details of potential and existing customers. However, as many of these companies believe that their website eliminates the need for marketing, they fail to see the potential of this important collection of data.

An Effective Marketing Tool

Admittedly, some businesses do attempt to use their lists to a certain extent but even then, many still neglect to undertake effective email marketing. By writing and sending emails too hastily or worse still, sending emails that merely support the objectives of their website, they are guilty of giving email marketing a supporting role, rather than treating it as a strong marketing tool in its own right.

The Future

In truth, businesses have some reason to do this. Email marketing once faced a shaky future due to spam and bulging inboxes. However, the amount of spam is now decreasing by around 13% a year, which makes the potential of this medium endless.

Building Customer Relationships

One of the most important advantages of email marketing is that it allows you to keep in touch with your existing customers. This enables you to keep them informed of new offers and developments, as well as allowing businesses to maintain excellent customer relationships. Similarly, because lists are packed with both potential customers and those who may have used your product or service previously, any information you send will be targeted. This means that there is less wastage and those who receive information are already aware of and interested in your business.

Cost Effective and Green

The benefits of email marketing certainly don’t stop there. Compared to many other forms of advertising, it is extremely cost-effective. It is also a particularly green medium, particularly when compared to postal direct mail. After all, an unwanted email can be quickly and easily deleted without any impact on the environment.

Swiftly Generating Traffic

Email marketing is particularly effective because it delivers your advert instantly and is able to start generating traffic almost straight away. This means that you don’t just have to rely on search engines and other e-marketing tools to help you find a bigger audience.

It Works

However, the biggest benefit of email marketing is that it works. Research by Doubleclick Inc, an online advertising company, clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of email marketing. They found that 82% of 1000 Internet users had made an online purchase in the past year because of an advertisement sent to them via email. This figure was up by a massive 20% on the previous year.

What Next?

With the total spend for email marketing estimated to hit £1.1 billion by 2010, more advertisers are waking up to the potential of this effective medium. The benefits of email marketing outweigh the advantages by a long way and it’s becoming increasingly clear that if you’ve got a mailing list you’re not using, you could be sitting on a goldmine