Is there actually anybody out there who is unfamiliar with email marketing? If you are still questioning the benefits of email marketing in today’s constantly-changing online environment it is time to WAKE UP!

The bottom line – Email Marketing works! Businesses employ email marketing because it works well.

Why does Email Marketing work?

Consider the following — email marketing services offer database integration, as well as segmentation and additional techniques for improving the targeting of your outgoing messages. Every email campaign you send out generates actionable data you can use to refine your approach and messages. Email promotions generate sales, inquiries, registrations, and much more. Email newsletters and other email announcements build awareness, contribute to branding, and strengthen relationships.

Email Marketing will continue to progress in 2012. It will meet and exceed the expectations of business marketers and consumers alike.

Why? Here are just some of predictions the experts are discussing:

Email is perfect for following upwith interested prospects. It is fast, inexpensive, and can be personal. Marketers are becoming savvier and they understand how to use this technology the right way. Email autoresponders will be the best choice for follow-up. The marketing automation technology that has emerged during the last few years allows autoresponders to adapt the message based on the recipient’s behavior (whether they open, click, do not click, purchase, etc.). In 2012, this technology will become even more significant in the mainstream. This allows email to be more relevant for the recipient, making it more effective for the sender.

Email will become more social. Facebook has begun the crossover of email and social with the release of their messaging platform. During 2012, you will see the lines between these two mediums blurred even further. At a simple level, email will allow for social connections and social platforms will include messaging platforms (like Facebook) that are basically email with a different wrapper. You also will see marketing automation systems integrate with social platforms in order to allow autoresponders to adapt based on cues from social interactions.

Email will become more mobile. According to a report released by Experian Marketing Services this year, 52 percent of consumers access email via their smartphones. Readers will demand that email is legible on their mobile devices. There also may be a convergence of MMS (multimedia text messaging) and email in some circles. Another technology that could evolve into the email space is QR codes. In fact, Experian Marketing Services also says that search queries containing “QR” have increased 214 percent since the beginning of 2011. So you will be able to opt-in to email communications by simply scanning a QR code.

The outlook for Email Marketing in 2012 is grand, as long as marketers use it wisely. Great opportunity and reward awaits those who remain ahead of the email marketing curve.

*Did You Know– You should not use Flash for email videos. Email filters strip out anything with a script (i.e. Flash) which could be a virus or malware. GIF files (Graphics Interchange Format) do not run afoul of email filters like most video file formats would and are known for their fast download times and easier integration with server technology.