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Permission-based opt-in email marketing is hot. Perceptions are changing. hereas, at one time, bulk email was perceived to be a haven for abuse, now the brightest and best firms are emerging and demonstrating how powerful this advertising medium can be when it's done right.

THE RIGHT WAY TO GO
Ethical permission-based email marketing utilizes the most qualified and confirmed "opt in requests" of individuals and companies who have specifically requested product and service news and information related to the requester's specific interests. The initial optin requests are confirmed through an outbound message prior to adding the recipient's name to a list. Likewise, the ability to promptly accommodate "opt out" requests is equally important.

With all of these strategies in place, opt in email campaigns are very cost effective and bring measurable results with a high return on investment (ROI). The best companies in the field offer strong creatives to maximize attention and to leverage the best response.

Strong creatives are becoming increasing important to this industry. At
VIBEdirect, for example, we have assembled a highly talented group of some of the brightest and best designers in our market. The rationale is that the stronger our creative, the better the results will be. As broadband DSL and cable modem access increase, so is the audience for rich media on the Web. Now, ndustry creatives are taking on increasing importance as flash, video streaming and other multimedia approaches compatible with broadband and higher bandwidth become commonplace. In effect, a convergence is starting to occur, where opt in email as a medium almost becomes a full audio visual experience that rivals television for creative impact.

FUTURE TRENDS
According to researchers, advertising and marketing on the Internet will increase 40% each year for the next four years, while email advertising will increase 50% each year. It is also expected that companies will soon begin spending at more traditional levels, which will then trigger a further growth spurt on the Internet.

The advantages of permission-based, optin email include low cost, microtargeting with data segmentation, strong ROI and immediate feedback. Unfortunately, there is still a misconception and lack of knowledge of what permission-based, optin email campaigns can provide. Some traditional companies still don't understand the benefits of optin email campaigns.

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