A new study from Forrester Research, “Email Marketing Comes of Age” finds that 97 percent of consumers and 94 percent of marketers are using email. For marketers, consumers who embrace email are their most valuable customers.
Consumers who are fans of email spend more online, make impulsive purchases, are willing to pay for convenience and communicate with others about ads and emails they value.
Forrester analyst and author of the report Shar VanBoskirk said,” There has been a lot of concern that e-mail has lost its effectiveness because it has not grown rapidly, but the aggressive interest in e-mail has only normalized. It should not be a concern that it’s lost its effectiveness, it is still very powerful. It’s just that it’s become like direct mail, which is still an effective marketing tool, but people aren’t as excited about it.”
According to the study, click through rates have been consistent with an average of 5 percent over the last three years. The audience has also remained consistent and consumers who buy products advertised in email spend 138 percent more than those who don’t buy through email.
The study found that women are more likely to forward email. Three in five consumers who share email are women. In addition, consumers 18 to 34, have separate addresses designated for promotional email.
For 2007 Ms. VanBoskirk says there will be more advanced use of email and the trend will be that more middle level marketing firms will adopt more sophisticated email programs.
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