The value of e-mail to an organization has never been greater. Using an email appending service, any organization can quickly gather constituent email addresses. And, by following a few simple best practices, the organization can ensure an effective and ethical online relationship with its constituents for years to come. Corporate business can grind to a halt with system outages, as internal communication is severely compromised and links to business partners, suppliers, and customers are severed. In fact, a META Group survey of 500 business people found that 80% of those surveyed indicated that e-mail was more valuable than the telephone for meeting daily communication needs.' Within days of launching an e-mail campaign, response can be measured and actions taken. Marketers can gauge response quickly and react by making adjustments on an e-mail campaign before delivery of a direct mail campaign is complete. Thus, the entire cycle time of the e-mail campaign from creation to delivery and response is one-tenth the time of traditional direct mail. WHAT IS EMAIL APPENDING? Email appending is the process of adding an individual's email address to his or her record in an organization's database(s). Email append services will enrich your customer file by appending useful data elements, such as email address, demographic characteristics, recreational interests and financial status to your records. When you have a better understanding of your customer base and can distinguish characteristics, you can improve list response rates by designing messages that speak directly to your customer's desires. |