Advertising through email has turned out to be a crucial tool for marketing strategists. Having recognized the reach of email advertising, a wide range of companies from real estate to travel agencies is using this medium to woo consumers. Now advertisements through email tend to irritate the recipient by cluttering up his inbox besides taking up valuable time and resources in going through them.

To avoid spamming or bulk mailing of unwanted emails, some companies are resorting to opt-in email services. Opt-in email service simply means that the recipient of the email has agreed to receive advertisements in the form of newsletters, messages announcing a new product or service, coupons etc. Thus advertising information can be sent to consumers with their permission.

• The customer has to click a link, register or confirm his or her email address to sign up for opt-in email services.

• Some advertisers use a double check requiring two separate commands from recipients. This is done to avoid accusations of spamming.

• Also, the recipient can at any time opt out of this mailing facility.



• Opt-in email advertising is advantageous since it is very cost effective. Direct marketing through traditional methods turn out to be comparatively more expensive. Regular mail requires paper, printing, envelope along with postage. Door to door sales depends on payout of commission. Telemarketing hikes telephone bills since most calls are long distance. And add to this that consumers may get irritated by these advances. So even a service charge paid for opt-in email advertising will be cost effective compared to such traditional methods.

Opt-in email services while being simple, quick and cost effective, have their share of disadvantages.

• Often you may across dubiously reputed firms which will sell you an opt-in mailing list where in reality the recipients have not signed up for the service. It is difficult to trace the authenticity of such lists because mailing addresses are “harvested” from various online sources. Such lists are often bought, sold and traded. So don’t buy mailing lists randomly. COnduct thorough research before you buy the service.

• Reputable firms generally never give out their mailing lists which have been painstakingly compiled. They rather offer to send out your ads to their mailing list.

• It is not easy to find people who have willingly opted for opt-in email advertisements. Preparation of such a list is a time and resource consuming affair because people inherently shy away from and are wary of committing themselves to such propositions. It would be wise to keep this in mind before choosing opt-in emailing.

• Finally be very careful about the number of federal laws that cover advertising and spamming. Make sure you follow all the rules. Otherwise you could be hauled up by the Federal Trade Commission for flouting rules.

So before you take the plunge, ensure that you understand the intricacies involved in email advertising, especially so for opt-in email marketing. You always have the option of hiring a reputed and experienced firm to handle advertising on your behalf.

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