Once considered a mainstay for reaching customers, email promotion has lost its luster for many marketers. Yes, a lot can be blamed on the flood of spam emails, which is the primary reason customers are less likely to respond or even see an email if blocked by spam filters. However, it is probably a mistake to dismiss the effectiveness of email for several reasons.
First, many organizations have mailing lists they have spent time and money building. Thus, they have an investment that is not being fully utilized. Second, compared to other forms of advertising, email is dirt cheap. This suggests that even if a message triggers just a small response, it still may be profitable. Third, email is now potentially seen across multiple devices, which presents the opportunity to have the message seen by the same person several times.
If you have placed email on the back burner or have not spent much time updating your email techniques, check out this story from CRM Magazine. Among its best practice ideas is the need to understand email in the age of mobile devices. It also looks at how several companies are doing email marketing well.