Bulk email marketing refers to a form of marketing that involves sending the same, or nearly identical, message to multiple email recipients. This type of campaign requires special software that takes each individual email address from a pre-existing list, and distributes a single message to each one. The number of recipients can range from hundreds to thousands, depending on campaign objectives.
Though it is generally viewed as a direct marketing tool used by large companies, bulk email can be used by small businesses and individuals as well. Someone might use it to send out dinner invitations, share family photos, or spread the news on a special event. In this scenario, bulk emailing objectives vary by the individual, and the messages are usually only distributed to friends or family the person actually knows.
Businesses launch bulk email marketing campaigns as a means of promoting products or services to consumers. It can be used to reach prospective customers as well as existing clients. Some companies create multiple versions of their bulk email and craft unique messages targeted at individuals or specific groups of consumers.
While bulk email marketing is a technique that allows the marketer to easily communicate with a large number of recipients at one time, it also permits them to do so in a personalized way. For example, it allows for the management of mailing lists and targeted communications to a diverse base of subscribers. Most importantly, it lets the marketer segregate recipients based on their interests and requirements, enabling more accurate targeting through personalized, relevant content.
Although bulk email marketing does not necessarily constitute as spam, many spam campaigns are launched using this very method. Due to widespread abuse, many recipients may choose to delete any mail they believe is sent to them in bulk. This is a significant challenge for ambitious marketers who must already deal with the threat of spam filters that might be configured to block, or automatically delete, all bulk email from the recipient’s inbox.
Bulk email marketing can prove to be a valuable tool for those who want to leverage the email system as their promotional medium. It can help a company effectively deliver its message while staying in touch with subscribers and increasing its conversion rate. On the other hand, if bulk email is unsolicited and sent to recipients who did not agree to receive it, it is often considered spam. For this reason, targeting a list of opt-in recipients is usually viewed as the key to such a campaign’s success.