E-mail proves its mainstream position

Everyone is aware that e-mail has become a mainstream communication tool, and each year shows increasing adoption by consumers using e-mail for everyday interaction.

Not only has general e-mail activity increased in volume, but consumers are increasingly making use of a variety of e-mail offerings that provide efficiency and ease-of-use to the consumer.

Used correctly, these channels can also translate into cost savings and improved customer loyalty for businesses.

In a report on US consumer e-mail activity published by DoubleClick (December 2005), the research shows that e-mail is "no longer a novelty, and is fully integrated into the personal and professional lives of most consumers".

DoubleClick reports that 90% of US consumers go online to send and receive e-mail several times a day. It also says 44% of respondents admit to using e-mail "constantly".

One of the key areas in which users are seeing the value of e-mail is electronic billing. A solid 31% of respondents said they liked to see bills and statements delivered by e-mail rather than traditional methods, while 39% said they had already replaced their paper with electronic bills.

There is good news for marketers too, as 41% of respondents said they`d like to replace direct mail with e-mail, and 33% would like to see e-mail replace retail offers and coupons.

Marketers need to be aware, however, that this increase in activity also means an increase in the total number of e-mails received by consumers. The study reports that the average US consumer now receives 361 e-mails per week, and that 70% of all e-mails are considered spam.

This means that companies using e-mail for either marketing or billing purposes need to ensure their messages have the best possible chance of getting to the desired recipient. This requires knowledge of e-mail formats, spam rating methods, white- and blacklisting procedures, as well as access to comprehensive e-mail delivery reporting.

It is no longer acceptable to broadcast mass messages and hope to reach an interested target.

Alison Wright, managing director at Striata

It is no longer acceptable to broadcast mass messages and hope to reach an interested target. Marketing messages must to be tailored to a customer`s profile, and be relevant, well-timed and delivered through the appropriate channel to be effective.

Someone within the organisation needs to be responsible for the e-mail channel. Monitoring delivery statistics, managing white-listing procedures, and updating databases are all as vitally important as the processes already in place for `snail mail` delivery.

The same applies to operational communications like bills. Just as someone was responsible for maintaining postal addresses on the customer information database, so the responsibility of managing e-mail addresses must be seen as a critical task.

Getting invoices and statements through to customers is arguably one of the most important functions to get right. If you don`t get your bills delivered, you don`t get paid. And it`s critical to put the correct processes in place when introducing e-mail billing, as the proportion of customers preferring e-billing will only increase as a percentage of the total customer base.

There are many processes that will assist in maintaining a high level of delivery of e-mails. But once the e-mail has been delivered to the intended recipient, how do you ensure it gets read?

The DoubleClick report confirmed that the "from" line is still the most compelling reason to open permission-based e-mail.

The power of branding remains key even in the e-mail space, and companies need to protect their electronic legitimacy through sender authentication processes and a strict anti-spam policy.