According to many experts, email as an effective marketing tool is either dead or on its way to quick death. Some experts are even claiming that both regular websites and email marketing may become totally ineffective in a world that may be dominated by blogs (other terms used are RSS or XML based content delivery systems). All of these statements and forecasts are pretty bold and only time will tell what happens but any business that uses email marketing today needs to be aware of the changes in technology and consumer behavior so that it is prepared when the time comes.  In an age when almost everyone is trying to fight a battle with SPAM, it is not easy for firms to use email marketing without headaches.  (Related article:  Mergers and acquisitions in blogosphere)

In the meantime, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to communicate with everyone who is voluntarily interested in receiving information from you. What you need to do is to tailor your email messages so that the recipient feels that s/he has total control, and secondly, you need to provide alternatives (e.g. subscription to blogs through RSS or XML feeds) so that you can gradually migrate your subscriber base to new technologies.

How to continue to use email marketing effectively?

• Give simple subscribe and unsubscribe choices. All email messages should have a link where a subscriber needs to type the email address once to be subscribed immediately.
• Give several choices on frequency of communication. For example, a subscriber may be interested in your products but not like the idea of receiving an email every other day. Maybe only once a week, or once a month, or only when there is a major sale, or when a new product is introduced. Invest some time in thinking strategically about your email marketing program and then offer several choices so that no one is motivated to either unsubscribe or hit that dreaded "This is Spam" button.
• You might already be personalizing your emails but what is really needed is customization. Or in other words, do not send email related to children's toys for people who do not have children. If in doubt or don't have the data, hold off on that email.  It is better to wait to develop that mailing list.