A form of direct marketing using the Internet, email marketing involves the use of electronic mail to reach out to a target audience. An advertiser communicates with his potential customers using personalised email messages, which can be both commercial and fund-raising.

Marketing through emails can fulfil a number of requirements for the advertiser. Sending a mail to old customers helps in enhancing your relationship with him, thus establishing customer loyalty or encouraging repeat business. Mails can also be sent in order to procure new customers.

According to sources, more than 60 percent of web users check their emails everyday. The widespread reach of Internet has prompted more and more companies to indulge in email marketing.

Listed here are some of the biggest advantages of getting into an email marketing campaign:
 Having a comprehensive mailing list at your disposal gives you the benefit of reaching out to a wide range of potential customers.
 This process is extremely cost effective. It comes at a much cheaper rate than snail mail or print and TV advertisements.
 Emails can reach a targeted mailbox in a matter of few seconds. Thus, their impact can be felt faster than other forms of media.
 Sending an email is a simple and convenient process. Writing ad copies for print or shooting ads for the television can be a time-consuming and cumbersome procedure.
 Advertisers can easily track their ROI by keeping an account of conversion rates and prospective buyers.
 Marketing through emails helps in generating repeat business as customers can be flooded with the same mail over and over again.

However, email marketing is not free of its disadvantages. Even though it is extremely popular and feasible, many companies are wary of it because of the following reasons:
 Spamming or the use of unsolicited bulk emails sent by non-credible sources can be a big hindrance, as Internet users get irritated and eventually block out even the credible companies.
 Many a times, technical defaults on servers or Internet connections can hamper the effect an advertiser wishes to create from his ad.
 If your target audience is not very Internet savvy, email marketing will simply not be considered as an option for you.
 It is very easy for users to block out email ids from which they do not wish to receive mails. This will simply render your marketing campaign ineffective.

Many online businesses have reaped huge benefits using email marketing. However, Internet users are becoming increasingly careful about who reaches out to their mailboxes. Step into this arena only when you are sure of the intricacies involved in the success of such campaigns.