The fundamentals of permission-based email marketing:

Number one rule of permission based emailing? Always obtain permission. And not the same type of permission you asked for from your mom when you asked if you could hang out at Sara's house after school, without mentioning that the football team would be there also.

Football team type of permission is used often, all too often, and if you join in by getting permission through the back door - you're going to end up in a whole lot of potential customers spam folder. Let me explain, you can gain a permission based email marketing list through asking permission directly from your customers. The other option is purchasing a list from companies who gather customers who are interested in similar products or companies to yours, but who may not know you personally. The latter options are commonly used, but emails from those who use it are commonly discarded. So ask permission directly from your customers.

To obtain permission you can contact your current customer base through post cards, feedback cards placed out at your current place of location, or offer the let them join your emailing list directly through your website. When you are offering to let your customers join your email list make sure that they know the benefits of hearing from you, of future promotions or information you may be giving out. Once you have obtained their permission you may wish to double check through the first email that they gave you that permission. Though you know you would not have their information had they not given it to you, asking again will help your customers to know you respect them. Permission based email marketing is going to allow you a long term relationship with your customer base.

After you have collected a starting base for your email marketing than choose a template that you can use to send out your newsletters, promotions, updates and such. There are free templates available or you can also hire someone to create a professional, creative, template for you. When choosing a template take into consideration how often you will be sending out these emails. Is this going to be a monthly newsletter your customers are going to want to take time to read? Or are you sending out quick promotions that you want them to be able to scan through and respond to quickly?

Make sure and put your company information into each email. Your contact information is going to be important each time you send out an email, as most people won't save it from just the first email sent. Make sure also and include your company logo. Using repetition in the template and design of these emails is okay as your customers will know what to expect and be able to easily navigate through the content of your email.

Test your emails out on people before actually sending out a mass email to all of your customers. Send it to employees who may have additional ideas and insights about products that would be useful for your customers to know. Send it to associates not related to your company who can give honest feedback on whether the email was clear, informative, and pointed the direction you want to point your customers in.

If your permission based emailing is done appropriately and correctly you can potentially save yourself thousands of dollars in advertising and marketing fees. Collecting a large email list may take time, but you will be building a much longer lasting relationship. A longer lasting relationship is going to bring you returning customers and in the end those customers will yield you much more profit.