We're all aware of the negative side of email marketing, thanks to spam. However, the abundance of spam tells us something important about email marketing. It reaches people more effectively than any other marketing tool.

Legitimate marketers know that the benefits don't end there, and in their hands there's no doubt that email marketing get results. This is why US businesses spent £950 million on email marketing in 2006, sending literally billions of commercial emails.

Here's a summary of the benefits of email marketing, and how it can benefit your business too.

1. Popularity of email

Almost every adult in the US sends and receives email - it's by far the most popular activity online. And while most people hate spam, most people welcome legitimate, relevant messages offering something of value.

2. Targeted

A large audience is not enough. The key to successful marketing is targeting - identifying and engaging the people most likely to respond to your promotions. Email marketing can be targeted more effectively than any other marketing.

This is because most people add their email address to email lists, to receive details of special offers and new products, email newsletters (ezines), and so on. Certain types of people join certain types of list. As a result, email lists group together people with something in common - something that identifies them as potential customers (targets) for certain types of goods and services.

These lists - available to buy or use - allow you to target prospect-rich audiences for your own goods and services.

Email is also the most effective way to target the people more likely than any other group to respond - your existing customers. An in-house email list (built with their permission) is one of the most valuable assets a business can have.

3. Affordable and cost-effective

You can reach a highly-targeted audience for just cents per prospect. If you build your own email list or take advantage of free ezine ads, the cost is zero.

The ability to target email marketing so effectively results in great value for your marketing dollar - healthy response rates and fewer marketing dollars wasted on unlikely prospects. This applies equally to small budget campaigns and big spends.

In addition, you can afford to repeat your promotions, proven to significantly boost response rates.

4. Options

Email marketing extends beyond the sales messages we're all familiar with. For instance, most email newsletters (ezines) carry ads. These range from free classifieds in the newsletter to solo ads, sent separately to subscribers from the newsletter.

Many ezines also welcome article submissions - an opportunity to promote your expertise and generate traffic to your site. You can also submit articles to free article directories used as a source of content by many online newsletters.

If you have time, you can start your own email newsletter. Alternatively, you can invite visitors to your site to sign up for brief details of special offers and new products - a less time-consuming option for building an email list.

5. Fast

Email marketing campaigns can be up-and-running in a day, and most people will respond almost immediately. This makes email marketing ideal for seasonal or time-sensitive promotions, and a great alternative to fast but costly pay-per-click promotions.

6. You can get it right

The affordability of email marketing allows even budget-constricted small businesses to test different headlines, prices and so forth before launching a large-scale campaign. As it's also fast, you'll know right away what works and what doesn't.

Email marketing is also an effective, low-cost testing ground for ads that will ultimately appear in more expensive channels. For instance, ezine classified ads are comparable in size and format to pay-per-click ads but far less expensive and often free.

7. Multi-tasking

As well as direct sales, email can be used to accomplish other marketing objectives too. For instance, it's a highly-effective tool for building relationships with existing and potential customers. Regular messages and newsletters generate trust and loyalty that ultimately lead to sales.

Email also promotes brand image and awareness when every message includes a simple statement distinguishing your business from the competition.

You can also use email to gain one-way inbound links. Many online newsletters are web-based with back issues - including your ad with a link to your site - available to view online.

Hopefully this introduction to email marketing inspires you to make the most of email marketing in your own business.

Copyright 2007 Caroline Mackenzie