A recent study from the Direct Marketing Association and Epsilon found that the average email volume-per-client has dropped 14.3 percent in the second quarter of 2011 from the same period in 2010. Researchers argue that email marketing campaigns are fighting for attention in consumers' inboxes, where many overwhelmed consumers are no longer opening promotional messages but simply deleting them.

The research showed that email open rates decreased 4.8 percent between the first and second quarter of 2011, and the click rates decreased 0.7 percent from the first quarter. One reason why many consumers are no longer responding to email marketing blasts is they do not wish to be contacted digitally.

Research from Acxion found that existing customers for companies reported a 77 percent acceptance rate for digital email marketing efforts, but only 52 percent of prospective clients reported accepting email blasts. Similarly, only 12 percent of consumers felt mobile advertising was appropriate, and just 4 percent of customers would approve of being contacted through Twitter and other various social media platforms by marketers.

The data also found that 82 percent of customers said they felt in control of brand relationships, in that they were receiving pertinent communications from companies and marketers through their preferred media channels. This can lead to higher purchasing rates and increased consumer loyalty. If a consumer feels respected by the company to not bombard them at every communication channel, then they will learn to trust the enterprise and purchase from them in the future. By taking advantage of direct mail marketing strategies, marketers may be able to offer customers discounts and promotions without overwhelming them.

Customer retention news provided by 123Print.com - providers of custom loyalty cards, business cards, postcards and other high quality, low price tools to help businesses retain customers.