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# Digital direct marketing using email

Direct marketing using email is a popular digital marketing tool. Like all direct marketing, it does not require media buying and scheduling and offers a higher degree of personalisation than traditional forms of advertising, sales promotions or public relations (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick, 2013). Unlike traditional direct marketing, which uses postal mail or phone contact, it can be time and cost efficient.

## Uses of online direct marketing

Direct marketing using email can be used to:

- stay in touch with existing customers
- remind customers of the organisation and its purpose or products
- send special offers to selected customers
- deal with queries.

To be successful, this requires a good database, i.e. organisations need to have a list of relevant and up-to-date email addresses to send direct marketing messages to. In order to build legal databases, organisations must gain consent from all people whose email they wish to use for email marketing. Building a database is one reason why, when you sign a petition or make a one-off donation to a cause that is important to you, organisations often ask you for your email address and permission for the organisation to send you updates and other emails.

People who are willing to receive updates may also be more receptive to an email encouraging them to make regular donations, become a member or support the organisation in some other way.

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OpenLearn - Marketing communications in the digital age
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