E-mail marketing, as a part of Internet marketing, falls into a category of direct marketing. Electronic mail (e-mail) is a mean to transfer the message to the customer. As some of the basic activities of this kind of marketing there are:

1. Sending e-mail in order to gain new customers or visitors to your site,
2. Sending e-mail to inform the existing customers/visitors about the new service or product, as well as to retain loyalty of customers/visitors by sending content that is interesting for them,
3. Setting your ads on e-mails that the other companies send to their customers/visitors,
4. Sending e-mails for other purposes
   

   Marketing, via e-mail, falls into one of the most powerful weapons of direct marketing, if properly used. In order not to cause a counter effect of the service, it is not recommended to send advertising e-mail messages to people or companies if they did not agree to receive such mail. Damage can be multiply greater than benefit if you decide for this step without their permission. Most of these messages is characterized as a side-mail (SPAM or JUNK), and you know how these messages can bother. And even though there is still no law sanctioning such behavior, in other countries it is very rigorous, so only by the proper use of this form of advertising, good results can be achieved, and otherwise you can easily be found in front of the magistrate.

 

   The easiest way to advertise via e-mail marketing is setting mail list (newsletter) on the site. The easiest way to advertise via e-mail marketing is setting mail list (newsletter) on the site. To be a member of a mail list means, said in the most simplified way, to be in the group of those people who gets the messages at some intervals from a certain address. In this way, e-mail circular mail (mail list) can be divided into:

1. Promotional (commercial)
2. Informative (commercial and non-commercial)
3. Discussion (commercial and non-commercial)
   

1. Promotional mailing lists

   In this kind of circular communication, promotional characteristic should be expressed through its applicability. If you promote your product through your mail list, doing it in different time periods, not extending the story - it is likely that the number of applicants will not grow! It is much better to publish news related to the products, and thus your mailing list becomes informative.

    An example of promotional mail list is a list of various journals that are simultaneously of informative character. Promotional mail lists survive the best in the event of existence of database of target population that wants to receive the messages of this kind, where users can choose what kind of promotional messages they want to receive. All the OPT-IN services are based on this principle. If you want to promote your product or service via this service, select the targeted population and, with the financial compensation, send the information directly to those people who are interested to receive the messages of this type.

2. Informative mailing lists

       This type of mail list is the most popular on the Internet. Starting from the information about the change of content of a web site, to the real e-mail newspapers, this type of mail lists brings the largest number of applicants, with a good concept.

3. Discussion mailing lists

   Discussion mail lists provide a variety of people, with the same or similar interests, to obtain information, with fast and easy messaging, about what interests them, or to get in contact with someone who shares similar interests. Discussion mail lists are characterized by two-way flow of information. The person applied to this list receives messages, but can simultaneously send the original messages on the list, and answers to those obtained. The same as with the Internet News service, discussion groups and its activity and quality depends on the applicants to the list.

   In order that this mail list is active, good themes, on which the interlocutors will have what to reply, are required. On visited discussion groups from the field which is related to your interests, you should participate and work better - in this way you are better promoted. These lists usually have their own moderators. On some lists, the procedure is determined in that way that the access to the list may not be possible until the moderator approves it. Also, there are lists where the moderator reads each message directed to the list, and only if it is approved by the moderator, the message is forwarded to all those applied to the list. Reasons for moderator's eventual rejection to forward a message to a list may be different and they vary from the list to the list.