Permission Marketing

Digital marketing degree programs will cover a topic called permission marketing.  Permission marketing is a very powerful digital marketing tool that can significantly help email and search marketers.  At its core, permission marketing is gaining a customers permission to further pursue marketing tactics.  This includes explicit and implicit permission.  Explicit permission is obtained through customers signing up for email notifications or newsletters.  Implicit permission is gained when a customer searches for something in a search engine.  A customized ad would be displayed on their screen later on for a product or service that meets their need.

Permission marketing is a concept that relies on the fact that consumers can now choose to ignore marketing.  As a marketer, treating your consumers with respect is the best way to earn their attention.  Permission marketing works at its best when you have explicit permission from the customer.  You want them to want to hear your companies latest news or subscribe to your RSS feed and email newsletters.  That's the best kind of permission.  The customer is offering something very valuable, their attention.

Once you have their attention and once they've signed up for your newsletter, keep it at that.  You have made a promise to your customer and all it includes is them listing or reading to what they signed up for.  Don't sell their email or do more than they signed up for.  This can lead your customer to back out of the agreement.

The internet changes the way you can gain permission from customers.  It allows for you to obtain permission in new ways but make sure that you do have their permission and you don't exploit them.  This strategy will be covered in digital marketing degree programs.