Effective Permission Marketing

In a world where information is abundant, attention is limited and competition is fierce, it should come as no surprise that companies everywhere are exploring new ways to get their message in front of their target audience. A growing trend, that some predict will revolutionize the world of advertising, is permission marketing - presenting marketing materials only to those that have granted you the permission to do so.

Particularly popular on the Internet, more and more companies are utilizing permission marketing to spread their message via e-mail - creating a $4.8 billion e-mail marketing industry. Take for example healthcare companies. With a virtually unlimited audience on hand, the only way to gain and retain a loyal following is by providing timely, accurate information in a non-threatening environment. Many healthcare organizations have found that utilizing permission marketing to disseminate information, whether it be on a specific medication, disease state or treatment, is an apparently passive way to reach their target audience.

What is Permission Marketing?

The concept behind permission marketing is relatively simple: offer consumers the opportunity to volunteer to receive marketing materials via e-mail and the "takers" will be much more likely to pay attention to the message. Add an incentive of sorts to the mix, and youve laid the framework to build a loyal following for a long-term, interactive Web-based marketing campaign.

Permission marketing is said to be anticipated, personal and relevant. Anticipated because people actually look forward to seeing the information. Personal because the messages are directly related to the individual. Relevant because the marketing is about something the prospect is interested in.

How Permission Marketing Works?

The first step in beginning an Internet permission marketing campaign is to strategize an incentive and make sure there are ways to enhance it later on in the campaign. Assuming that frequency is indeed vital for any successful advertising/marketing campaign, its important to remember that volunteers will need to receive an ongoing incentive in order to remain receptive to the marketing message. Incentives can range from information, to entertainment, to cash prizes. The only mandatory is they must be clearly identified, labeled and delivered.

Once an appropriate incentive is developed, the next step is approaching prospects. When presenting the opportunity to them, its necessary to be truthful and explain in detail the purpose and expected duration of the project.

With audience in hand, the marketing begins. Since the group has basically agreed to listen to the concept, its much easier to tout the benefits of the marketed material. Instead of spending time attempting to attract and gain interest, all efforts can be placed toward clearly disseminating information.

Over time, more and more information can be placed into the hands of the select audience, assuming they are successfully induced to continue granting their permission. Eventually, Internet marketers, can leverage the attention they have gained and change consumer behavior into profits.

How Permission Marketing Can Help You - And Your Customer?

Upon examination, permission marketing is a win-win situation. The consumer receives clear, concise information on something they are genuinely interested in, while the marketer is placed in front of a captive audience that is curious about whatever it is that is being marketed.

Plus, permission marketing seems to be working. While e-commerce marketers the world around bash the effectiveness of banner ads, this same group claims permission-sent e-mails are one of the best ways to boost customer retention and increase sales. In fact, according to a report from independent Internet research firm Forrester Research, Inc., by 2004 marketers will be sending more than 200 billion e-mails annually to take advantage of the mediums potency.

With such names as America Online, Amazon.com and My Yahoo! (a subset of Yahoo!) openly endorsing permission marketing tactics, its just a matter of time before the industry evolves. Soon, the
only mail (e-mail or otherwise) youll be throwing out is non-targeted information you did not ask for.

About the Author

Dimitri Arges is CEO of Carlsbad, Calif.-based eVitals Corp. Launched in 1998, eVitals is an online integrated health care services site at evitals.com that electronically connects patients, physicians and pharmacists. The company is in negotiations with several pharmaceutical companies looking to embark on a successful permission marketing campaign.

:To contact see details below.


arges@evitals.com
http://www.evitals.com/