The proliferation of spam makes marketing through email a challenge. Unfortunately spam pollution has obscured many appropriate and effective uses of email marketing. Nevertheless, email is still a powerful means of marketing. Perhaps technology will someday cure the problem of spam altogether, until then we just have to get used to using filters and spam blockers to minimize unsolicited and undesired email. At least we aren't wasting paper and ink when we trash our email.

The internet has transformed marketing. by allowing businesses and consumers to make relevant and desired transactions based on genuine personal likes and interests. In theory, the more my actual interests and buying habits are known by the marketplace, the more specific and targeted the offers and information I receive. Instead of sitting through commercials for Geritol (which I won't be needing for a few years yet), or listening to ads for a real estate agents (which I don't need right now), I receive emails about things I am interested in, like books about innovation, new music by Jack Johnson, or free steaks at Ruth's Chris Steak House (I can dream).

Great strides have been made toward making internet marketing targeted and relevant. For example, I was once quite happy to receive an email right before Christmas with a special deal on the new Veggie Tales video - I bought it. On another occasion, I was informed of a new book by Malcom Gladwell - I quickly ordered and received in a couple days. Unfortunately, for every offer I am interested in, I still get dozens that go straight into the deleted items folder.

There is a big difference between legitimate email information and irrelevant offensive spam. For too often I often receive unsolicited email that I am not interested in, yet if it contains information about things that I might possibly have been interested in, I don't resent receiving it. For example, I might get an email from Amazon.com about a new recording artist that I'm not interested in. But if it is in the general genre of music I like, I'm glad they let me know and just delete the email. This kind of email doesn't make me mad like spam does.

There is an appropriate and effective way of using email in marketing. We just need to make sure that the email we send is appropriate for those receiving it. Later we'll discuss how to distinguish your targeted email from spam, so that people won't instinctively hit the delete key without first evaluating your email's message.   next >