Email marketing: opportunity and risk

author: OTOi – Executive Team
Email marketing continues to grow rapidly and, according toForrester Research, is becoming the number 2 preferred channel fordirect marketing. Unfortunately, marketers have not approached thechannel with the same rigor as other forms of direct marketing andthis has led to disappointment and disillusionment both formarketers and customers. In this article, we’ll review 4 areasmarketers should re-consider as they implement e-mail marketing:permission, strategy, governance and technology.

Email offers the opportunity to communicate quickly andefficiently with customers and prospects; to improve products andservices through faster direct customer feedback; to sell productsand services quickly; and to optimize communications in near realtime.

With this opportunity come the risks of damaging customerrelationships through confusing or excessive communication,damaging the brand through conflicting messages and experiencesacross the company, legal liability from inadequate permission orprivacy standards, and direct and indirect competitive pressurefrom other companies that are using email effectively andestablishing increasingly higher expectations as to how emailshould be used in the stream of commerce.