Is Permission Based Email Marketing Ethically

As the internet is flooded with aspiring online home-based entrepreneurs and marketers, web consumers are constantly receiving their emails promoting their brands and wares. Today, a lot of ‘junk’ email is received in the email in-box just like yesteryears’ when post boxes outside the homes were filled with junk mail.

If marketers want better results from their marketing efforts, they must adopt the better marketing approaches, although their marketing strategies may be versatile and powerful. It is possible to enjoy higher Return On Investment (ROIs) using the best of email marketing strategies, but without the proper marketing ethics, even the best marketing strategies and campaigns could fall flat.

Effective Email Marketing

Email marketing has been proven as a very effective online marketing strategy for online business ventures. This is due to the fact that many consumers have emails and advanced technological devices such as smartphones and mobile devices with Wi-Fi facilities. These components are sufficient to send and receive emails at any time from anyone to anywhere.

Modern consumers with emails tend to check on their emails a couple of times a day. This consumer habit benefits businesses that manipulate emails to reach their targeted niche markets or secure a wider audience in promoting their business. Effective emails would draw consumers to be potential leads to the business where a building of strong relations could convert potential leads to customers.

Email marketing is also cheap and fast. The advanced technologies of today lower the cost of sending an email compared to slow mail and other traditional marketing strategies. This is an excellent marketing tool for new businesses that are low in budget. Organic and free web traffic could be harnessed through a proper implementation, although paid traffic could also be procured quickly for the desired business marketing activities.

However, the wrong way of manipulating email marketing could backfire on the marketer where web consumers become annoyed and against the brand or business. This could happen with spam emails which take up busy consumers’ time and inbox space. A bad impression could be impinged on the brand and business which does not augur well with the marketer in the marketplace. Hence, it is crucial for the marketer or entrepreneur to adopt good marketing ethics in engaging email marketing to win over customers.

Permission Based Email Marketing

Marketers thinking of engaging in email marketing to promote their brand and business wares today should consider implementing permission based email marketing. This is an ethical approach towards email marketing where marketers request the permission of targeted potential leads to be opted into their customer database or email listing.

This form of email marketing approach is also known as opt-in marketing whereby email recipients are given an opportunity to say ‘yes’ to receiving business news via emails. The securing of consumers’ permission makes it easier for the marketer to send relevant emails of marketing information without worrying about annoying the recipient.

Once permission is secured from identified business prospects, better marketing campaigns could be designed to increase the chances of compelling potential leads to make purchases and be converted as business customers. When the business lead opts into the business emailing list, the marketer requires less effort and time in developing the best of promo materials to benefit the consumer.

This form of marketing helps to boost the bottom line of the business as more quality time could be identified in establishing strong customer relations to generate trust, respect and confidence between the two parties. It would be easier for the marketer to secure more accurate information from the potential leads through online surveys in various emails sent to understand the needs of the consumers better.

The proper approach of permission based email marketing which the marketer is to adopt is by providing an online opt-in form via emails or at the web business site where the potential leads indicate their consent in receiving further updates or news regarding the brand or business from this particular marketer.

This approach confirms the potential lead’s interest and inclination towards the brand and company to empower the marketer in sending relevant emails to the potential leads. When an appropriate business email is sent to these potential leads, it is possible for these potential leads to find favorable and value added products or services which they could order or purchase via the marketer. The marketer would enjoy better bottom lines from the highest number of sales triggered from these potential leads who are now inclined towards the brand or business.

Ethical Marketing

Ethical marketing via emails is a strong testimony of the marketer’s character which calls for mutual respect and integrity. Marketers who exercise ethical marketing are highly respected in the market with a strong show of upright character which augurs well with all consumers. This is unlike interruption marketing which is spamming consumers’ email in-boxes regardless of consumers’ feelings and feedback.

Spamming is very much frowned upon by marketers pushing loads of promo emails to their list of potential leads in the market. Marketers could be desperate to such unethical marketing approaches when their business fluctuates with the market. Modern consumers do not like marketers to coerce them into accepting the brand or business offerings through numerous emails which could clutter up their in-box, especially when marketers spam their in-boxes with multiple copies of the same message.

Ethical marketing is powerful in this era as mutual respect is exercised and business opportunities come at the right time for the marketers to present their brand or business benefits. Politeness in marketing campaigns wins more customers than forceful approaches. Opted in customers remain loyal and positive towards the brand and business when they are able to exercise their free will in choosing their brand and company for products and services.

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Internet and Business Online Revert to Childhood

Kids learn early about the need for marketing. Whether it’s cookie or candy sales, popcorn or knick-knacks or even holiday wrapping paper and cheese balls children learn what it takes to succeed.

Many of these school or youth organization fundraisers thrive on the sale of products to help fund certain activities, programs or a needed purchase.

These same fundraisers often reward the children for their efforts by offering increasingly spectacular prizes for those children who sell the most.

Armed with this knowledge, and a determined attitude to beat the snobbiest kids in school, children canvas neighborhoods and block incoming phone calls by contacting family members to see if they would be interested in purchasing German chocolate or a can of caramel popcorn.

Millions of magazines are sold this way every year. Many companies could not exist if it weren’t for the business they are able to do with charitable organizations in fundraising efforts.

Why is it so hard for adults to remember how they were able to make sales when they were growing up? For many it suddenly seems childish and inappropriate to contact friends and family when it comes to launching a new business. The contacts that we would have considered natural in childhood suddenly seem off limits as adults.

Why should they be off limits?

Shouldn’t friends and family members be the first on your enthusiasm solicitation list for what you are doing in business? Wouldn’t those same individuals be willing to be your cheerleaders in business? Don’t they have their own sphere of influence where they could further share your business information?

Internet and business online can only be enhanced by the same advice given in schools every year, “When it comes time to sell make sure to visit with family and friends first.”

There is a bonus to making this your first priority. By being intentional about contacting your friends and family you are likely to get the best possible feedback from those who care the most for you and your business idea. While you can receive negative feedback you can also receive some very positive words of affirmation and encouragement.

Your online business is important to you so sharing it with those who care about you most can be an important step in learning what type of responses you may receive from the general public.

Some family members and friends will be very supportive and want to sign up to be your first customer. Some family members will not understand and honestly state they feel you may be wasting your time. Others may be cautiously guarded in their enthusiasm. Most who know you best will be interested in how your business develops.

All of these responses are to be expected from the general public when you develop an online business.

I think there are times that it has become harder to earn the trust of consumers because they have seen so many brick and mortar and online businesses come and go they are a bit skeptical that any new startup will last.

Be patient and give customers every reason to trust you, When you make it through your first year expect the response to be more positive from family, friends and the buying public.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is t

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