by Relevant, personalized, permission-based customer communications get results. If your company wants results, first ask permission.
Three years, ago, personalized email conversations were more of a niche endeavor. In 2004 they’ve earned recognition as a strong interactive marketing medium and are even earning their own budget line item.
Permission based communications provide the four items that make customers feel valued. These are 1.Choice 2.Control 3.Respect 4.Relevance
Permission based email accounts for only 8percent of emails received and they generate a disproportionate amount of customer response. Two-thirds of respondents report opening at least 6 out of every 10 permission-based emails. Today’s more sophisticated email and internet user expects permission-based follow up in form of receipts, shipping status information, and related, relevant products offers. If customers were given the choice majority would be pleased to see permission-based email replace all telemarketers and direct mail.
In the rising sea of spam and spim, the average consumer receives 308 emails a week. Two-thirds of that is span, up from 50 percent last year. Double Click reports in its Annual Consumer Email study that 32percent of the respondents have made an immediate purchase online as a result of receiving an email. This is up from 28percent in 2003.
Gets More Results 30 percent have clicked on an email to find more information, then returned later to purchase online. An additional 12 percent clicked on an email to find more information and then later purchased the item offline. Nearly three-quarters of consumers have redeemed an online coupon during an online purchase, and 59 percent have redeemed an online coupon offline.
At a higher rate than ever before consumers are increasingly likely to make purchases, both online and offline, as a result of receiving a permission-based email.
Source: Kamaron Institute, www.kamaron.org
(c) 2005, Margaret S Ross. May not be reprinted, copied. All rights reserved.
