Gary Thuerk could never have imagined.
Yes, that was the number of emails sent in 2022.
Gary, an American marketing manager, and the “father” of email could not have imagined where this would go when he sent the first email in 1978.
Email has become a necessity in life, both personally and in business with many people relying on it to keep in touch with the world.
However, for some, the intrusion of email by its content and frequency can cause frustration, annoyance and sometimes more serious outcomes.
Receiving an unwanted email can be an inconvenience. Most will delete and move on. But for some, the consequences can go beyond mere annoyance, especially if they have been targeted due to vulnerabilities.
Most companies sending marketing emails are responsible and just to make people aware of their products and services. The last thing on their mind is to cause upset to customers or prospects.
But if you don’t plan your email campaign properly, from researching your ideal audience to ensuring you have permission to send the email, you could find yourself on the ICO’s radar.
And this could mean being listed on their website as an upheld complaint, and as many companies engaged in email marketing have found out, a financial penalty.
It will be nowhere near the £4 million the ICO can impose for data breaches. However any fine together with the negative publicity of being featured on the website’s list of rule breakers can have a devasting effect on a company’s future.
Not only will customers and prospects think twice about engaging with them, but suppliers and other B2B contacts will also reconsider any relationship.
Email marketing can be a great way to promote your products and services, but it is also a channel where it is easy to get things wrong.