It was 1978 – before the internet even existed and more than 2 decades before most Americans had an email address.
But I hear you say – how can you send an email without the internet?
Well, an American marketing manager sent emails to 400 customers promoting the launch of a new product via ARPANET, a precursor to the World Wide Web.
Gary Thuerk, believes himself to be the father of e-mailing, but he is more commonly known as the father of spam.
Email has moved on considerably since Mr Thuerk’s day, becoming one of the most successful direct marketing channels.
It’s also one of the most abused, and one of the easiest ways to find yourself in trouble with the ICO.
This stops many businesses from benefiting from the reach that email can bring – starting conversations with customers and new prospects, keeping your brand front of mind, so when they need what you offer, they come to you.
But, use email marketing correctly and you’ll build a loyal following of people interested in your products/services.
People who trust you to do things properly and respect them as human beings not just numbers on a spreadsheet.
The rules around email marketing can seem complex and confusing, and implementing a good email marketing campaign requires more than a rudimentary understanding of what you can and can’t do, for example:
– Can I send an email to a customer who bought something from me 2 weeks ago, 6 months ago, 3 years ago?
– What if I buy a list from a data company – can I email those people?
– How do I deal with people that complain about getting my emails?
These are just a few questions that often arise when you start looking at an email marketing campaign.
So, how do you make sure you get this right?
What’s important, before you even start looking at the data, the processes, and the rules, is to remember that the foundation of any marketing you do is gaining their permission.
Your customers and prospects are real people and need to be respected as such.
Anything and everything you do should put them first.
There is more than 1 way to gain permission for email marketing, and which one is right for your brand and ultimately your customers will need to be considered as part of getting your email marketing campaign working for you.
And that’s where the “more than just a rudimentary” understanding of the rules comes in.
Talk to an expert to make sure your email marketing makes the best (and legal) impression.