The Advantages and Disadvantages of Email Marketing

Direct marketing involves soliciting recipients to generate a response or to take immediate action. The internet is an effective way to reach your customers. Email marketing helps you keep in touch with your customers. It has the ability to build brand awareness and loyalty by providing customers with the information that interest them about your product or service.

Cost Effectiver
An advantage of email marketing is that you can contact your customers more than you normally would and more affordably than other methods, sending mail, and paying for postal rates. An email message is more cost effective than printing brochures and postcards. An email message is more cost effective than sending thousands of direct mail pieces with savings in postage, paper and printing.

Demographic Informationr
Another advantage of email marketing is that it allows you to collect demographic information. This information will help you better market your small business. You ask the prospect to fill out a few questions when signing up for your email. You can discover exactly who your customers are, their age and what their interest are all this information helps you to mold your services to suit your customer. Give your customers the option of skipping the questionnaire and make sure that you don’t ask too many questions because each question you ask may reduce the number of customers to sign up for your email.

Format in HTML
The disadvantage of using HTML format is that it is slower to download. HTML looks visually appealing and is easier to read than text format. You can have features added like shopping carts and can keep track of click through rates which gives you information about what people are reading.
Some people may have slow computers and will lose patience when downloading your email. Another disadvantage to using HTML format is some email providers will screen out HTML and put your email in spam folders.

SPAM
A disadvantage of direct marketing on the internet is that your email may be considered spam. Always include an opt-out statement in your message. For example, if you wish to discontinue receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe to these offers by clicking here.

Direct marketing over the internet is an effective way to market your product or service. If you plan to send an online newsletter to prospects it’s a good way to keep your name in front of your customers without being too pushy.

Reference:
SBA: Email Marketing

Inc. Technology; How E-Mail Marketing Works; Andrea Peiro; 2007

Deer Farmer’s Library; Internet Direct Marketing; Russell Sawchulk; 2003